Of Gods And Monsters
by Supremator
Summary: Avarik Halcen, a Haki prodigy, is kicked out of the Whitebeard Pirates. So with the help of his first mate, Axcel D. Grey, Halcen becomes a Devil Fruit Hunter. He's got big plans in store. But in order to get what he wants, they'll have to go up against the most powerful forces in the world. Can they survive? Dark AU
1. Disgraced

Hey guys, this is my first attempt at publishing a fanfic. I've got lots of ideas, this is just the first I had ready to post. I'm also working on actual books, and about a dozen other projects, so writing is my passion. Hopefully that shows.

I love One Piece, but I don't own it, so I take no credit for Eiichiro Oda's characters, nor the One Piece world. But I did put a lot of OC's in here. So enjoy!

Disgraced

 _Why won't they listen to me?_ Halcen repeated over and over in his head. _That Phoenix fruit is mine! I found it! Why are they listening to Marco's lies?_ Halcen stood there in front of the crew of the Moby Dick, Whitebeard's personal ship. These were people he had been with for years, some almost a decade. And they all looked upon him scornfully. Most shouted angrily, but some cheered at the event. "Why won't any of you listen?!" Halcen shouted again, gruffly, on the verge of tears.

Avarik Halcen was 22 now. He had been part of the Whitebeard crew for nine years. He was about average height, a little less than six feet tall, had long blonde hair that he usually had gelled back so his bangs didn't cover his eyes. But it was all askew now, from the hectic night. He had a strong, wide jaw, and dark green eyes. His nose a was a little larger than normal, but he was still a handsome man. At least, his track record suggested women thought so. He had had his share of fun in all this time. But now was not one of those moments.

Marco stood before Halcen, on the opposite side of the deck, also surrounded by the horde. Marco was now a fully grown man of 18. He was no longer the short little twerp that he had been in Halcen's eyes for so long, but a strong warrior. He had been hardened after these many years of traveling the seas. Halcen knew he was going to be a tough fight.

Whitebeard stood, refusing to show any emotion. This was Halcen's fight now, and nobody was going to help him. Why? He still couldn't understand.

"Halcen, don't do this," Thatch told him.

"I have no choice!" Halcen shouted. He was sober now, and done slurring. All the excitement had straightened him up real fast. This was no longer a party night. The dawn had already come, and the sun was skimming over the sea.

Marco didn't say anything, just stood, waiting, with a dark look on his face.

"Why would you do this to me, Marco? We're brothers!"

Marco looked deeply at Halcen, his spiked yellow hair hung sadly to the sides. "You're doing this to yourself, yoi." His voice was solemn.

"Fine!" Halcen charged him, swinging his powerful arms at Marco's face.

A sudden burst of blue fire erupted all around Marco. This was the devil fruit power at work. It burned around them, spewing out, and almost reaching the other crew members that Marco was not trying to hit. This was his first time using his new power.

Halcen was not deterred. His entire body was instantly coated in armament Haki. His whole body turned black. He smiled and continued his punch. It was more than enough.

Marco took the hit in full and was thrown off, over his comrades, and off the side of the ship. But he quickly gained his composure and his body lit up like a match, while floating over the sea. The sun's glimmer reflection looked brilliantly contrasting to his visage. It was a sight to be sure, but Halcen wasn't there to appreciate art. He was there to fight.

"Come back here, Marco! And fight me!"

Marco gave himself a few moments to gain some familiarity to his new power. He was going up against a skilled fighter who had taken down many devil fruit users with nothing but his own natural power. Marco was new to being on the other side of that fight. He needed to make up the difference fast. He drove his new fiery power furiously toward Halcen, his entire body seemingly transforming in the process. His legs became talons and his arms became wings. A beak of yellow fire emerged where his face had been. Marco was now a full-fledged phoenix.

His body rocketed towards Halcen at breakneck speed. Halcen threw his hands out and intercepted the crashing bird with his own strengthened body. The force of the impact drove Halcen back, but he remained on his feet. He used the momentum to sweep his arms over his head, holding firmly onto Marco, and slammed the creature down on the deck on his back.

Marco landed on his back with a hard thud, and the flames on his body enraged, almost lighting the whole ship on fire. Marco coughed heavily, but his new power immediately began to heal him. He wasn't done yet. He flipped himself back over before Halcen could get on top of him and thrust a fiery leg into Halcen's chest.

Halcen was lifted off his feet and went sailing over the crowd of onlookers. He landed with a heavy smash against the wall to the inside of the ship. His body remained fully unharmed however. Halcen dropped back down to the ground on his feet, ready to fight.

Marco dropped down from the sky, throwing bursts of fire at Halcen.

 _Oh shit!_ As much as he was resistant to it, Halcen knew better than to needlessly take damage. He jumped into a roll that got him out of the shower of flames. The fire began to spread as Halcen ran from Marco.

Marco dived down under Halcen, sweeping under his legs.

Halcen's body took little injury, but he was thrown from his footing with a loud shout. "Fuck off!" He rolled to the ground and ended up on his ass.

The burning bird flew around the ship once more as he readied another dive attack. This time, the man of black was already off his feet. And he would have little time to ready for a counter. Marco sped up as quickly as he could, and aimed his blazing beak towards Halcen.

"You damn monster!" Halcen shouted at the predator. He pushed himself off from the wall as swiftly as possible, and made a dash towards the middle of the ship, but he only got a few yards before Marco was on him.

He dove down, as hard as a screeching evil eagle could. His claws tucked into his body to make him more aerodynamic as he flew towards his prey. "Now, it's over, yoi," he said aloud to himself.

Halcen turned, and readied for one more impact. His body had taken little damage, but he was getting tired already. Marco was learning his powers too fast. This fight was too intense. He needed to end it. Halcen lunged at Marco, himself flying into the air. But he was poised for his wing, not his body.

Halcen grabbed tightly as Marco tried to free himself. Marco was thrown off balance and started shaking furiously. His fire flashed heavily in midair, trying to hurt Halcen. Halcen twisted his body in the air, and flicked Marco back down to the ship.

Marco landed once more with a loud crash, and a cry.

Halcen dropped down from above, and brought his arms down in a heavy hammer. He smashed into Marco's chest, almost breaking his bones. He knew he had to have caused serious damage with that blow. Then, Halcen leant down and grabbed Marco by the throat with his black hand. He lifted him up and brought back his other hand, ready to swing.

A loud, thundering crack shook the whole ship, freezing Halcen in fear. He looked back to see the old man, Whitebeard, standing there. "That is enough, Halcen," he declared.

Halcen stared deep at Whitebeard. "Of course, as soon as I have the upper hand, you step in. You just have to protect your golden child."

"This has gone too far, Halcen," Whitebeard shouted. "Look around you!"

Halcen looked around the ship, seeing that where the fire had been started was smudged out from the old man's power. He was defending his ship from the destruction the two of them were causing.

The crowd around them gaped in horror and boos. "Stop it, Halcen," some of them cried. These were his comrades, his friends, his family, his nakama. And they were taking Marco's side.

Marco struggled desperately as the black hand, squeezed tightly against his neck, choking him. He could feel unconsciousness coming.

"Let him go, Halcen," Whitebeard demanded.

Halcen let Marco go, and the man slipped forward, trying to maintain his footing as he ran to hide behind Whitebeard, rubbing his throat. His face was red.

"But he-"

"NO!" the old man shouted, cutting him off. "It is one thing to accuse others of lying, and theft, but to attack another crewmate is unforgiveable! You have dishonored yourself, Marco, and our entire family."

"But, Pops…"

"No, Halcen," he spoke in his rough voice. "There is no excuse here. Had you wanted a fair chance, you would not have acted so irrationally. This matter is closed. You have proven your own mistrust. And I cannot have you here, anymore. You must leave us!"

"Pops…" Halcen muttered, trying to come up with a response.

"I am not your Pops, Halcen. Not anymore. We are not your family. You have betrayed that bond, and you must leave."

Halcen struggled to keep from tearing up as he searched the faces of the men and women he had traveled with. Thatch, Ace, Grey, Haruta, Namur, Teach. This was the only family he had. "Please, no. I can't… I can't be all alone." He turned back to Whitebeard. "Pops, please, listen to me!"

"I'm done listening to your excuses. You have done enough to this family. And I cannot ignore it anymore. Gather your things. You need to leave."

As Halcen stood there, he realized this was reality. No drink, no drug, no woman, could make this pain go away. Nothing could stop this from passing as it was. He swallowed his anger for the moment, collected himself, and turned away.

Halcen stepped off the ship, and back onto the dock of the island he had only come up on a half hour earlier, with his bag packed tightly, without saying his goodbyes. If they had cared enough for him, they would have said something to stop Whitebeard from kicking him out. Now, he was alone.

"Hold up!" called a hoarse, but familiar voice.

Halcen turned to see the old man, Axcel D. Grey. He was about half a foot taller than Halcen with long, tangled gray hair. He was late in his fifties, and the wrinkles on his face said he had been through a lot more than most people his age. His teal eyes held a lot of pain. He was a pirate, through and through. And a good man. He had a bag with him as well.

"What are you doing, Grey?"

"I'm coming with you," he said, walking fast to catch up.

"You need to go back. You're needed there. That's your home."

"No, Halcen, you need me more."

"I don't need anyone," Halcen spoke softly. "I'll be fine on my own." He avoided eye contact, then turned around to continue walking.

"I seem to recall myself saying something very similar, years ago."

"Grey… don't."

"Halcen, stop!"

"What do you want, Grey!?" Halcen shouted, turning to him, eyes red from swallowing his emotions.

"I'm going with you. I owe you at least this much. I'm here, whatever you need."

Halcen swallowed hard, trying to maintain his composure. That somebody would sacrifice their whole life, to make sure he was okay… was too much for him to accept. Genuinely good people were few and far between in a world like this. "Alright… thank you."

"So… where are we headed? What's the plan?"

Halcen looked over the ocean, as he watched the Moby Dick pulling away from port. He plotted carefully in his head. Halcen turned back to Grey, smirking. "First things first, we need a ship and a crew."


	2. Born In Ash

**Author's note: I sadly do not own One Piece, so I cannot take credit, nor make money off of it. If I did, we'd all be having fun with my fortune. But for now, my talent is squandered on penniless little shit. But I did have some cool ideas. Check them out.**

Born In Ash

In the shallow parts of the North Blue lies an island called Kuzonid, where pirates come and dock their ships freely. It is an island that has built itself on the power and business of wealthy pirates coming and going in their daily lives abroad. Pirates come to stay and relax while their ships are repaired, outfitted, restocked, and readied for new adventures. They sleep, and drink, and fight, and fuck; and the circle of life goes on around them, without too many people getting hurt. Kuzonid is an island that depends of the business of such pirates, and their discretion, and honor. Without them, the hearty people of the land could have no livelihood, since the soil is too difficult to grow in, and their aid of the World Government is so little. Marines steered clear for the most part because they know they weren't welcome. Only during desperate times do they come to the shores of this island.

On one of the island's hilltops, in a fancy house, lives young Avarik Halcen and his family. He has a younger brother Avarik Pol, a mother Avarik Ren, and a father Avarik Gouchu. But during this winter season, his brother Pol was far off in another sea in a boarding school to keep him from being distracted from his parents' high expectations of him.

Halcen himself was still at home, at age 13, raising hell with his temperament. His parents had tried many things to calm him, but Halcen was incurable. He was rough, especially now that he had hit puberty. He was going to create as much chaos as he could. He was angry, and he didn't know why. He was always ready for a fight, even though he lost to his schoolmates every time. He never put any thought into it, but he knew if he did some real working out, he could easily beat them. He was tall enough to look like a teenager, but still decently thin. He had long blonde hair that he kept combed back so his bangs didn't hang over, and vivid green eyes. He wore baggy clothes and his skin was always scraped up. He was always coming home with a new bruise.

Halcen knew he was smarter than most of the other people in town, and it was easy to get away with what he wanted. He was too eager to go cause trouble, and never got in trouble for it. But that was fading quickly, since his parents were getting ready to send him away too. This time, it wouldn't be a fancy boarding school. Halcen knew he was too rambunctious for that. So they had to make other, more drastic plans. Halcen wasn't ready for that. He knew when that day came, he'd have to enact his escape plan from the island. It was the only place he'd ever known, but he knew that had to change. This world was big enough to disappear in and nobody suspect anything. There were currently at least seven different pirate ships docked in their harbor as it was. Stowing away would be easy enough.

Halcen came home this one particular day, with a couple fresh marks on his scrawny body. He was proud of his work. He had finally taken on one of the new kids that he had taken a beating from earlier this year.

He opened the door to his large house at the crest of the hill. As soon as he walked in, wearing a victorious smirk, he was immediately abashed by their maid, Clarisse. She was short and wore puffy dresses that Halcen assumed had to be in her way. "Avarik Halcen!" she ferociously shouted. For such a dainty woman, she had the voice of the monster. He knew he was in trouble.

He turned to look at her walking in from the outside dining area. "Yes, ma'am?" he said, voice shaking.

"Just what trouble have you gotten yourself into today?" she walked up to him. She was already in her forties, but she was still a beautiful woman. She had long red hair, tied back, and a porcelain face, like a doll.

"N… nothing, ma'am."

She wiped her thumb on his face, across one of his new bruises.

"Ow!"

"And just what am I to tell the misses?"

Halcen's face grew dark. "Please, don't say anything to them."

Her face lit up. She wrapped her arm around Halcen's shoulder. She was only a few inches taller than him. But he was growing quick enough to be taller than her soon. "Of course not, honey." She was always so sweet. "Now, how about a piece of candy?"

Halcen's eyes brightened at the peace offering. She knew how to get to him.

She took out a piece of hard candy in a gold wrapper.

He took it with a huge grin and tossed it in his mouth. His face beamed. He was a sucker for candy. Just about any kind would do. Except the hot kind. He hated it with passion like no child could.

"There, there. Now have you got any homework to do?"

Halcen's face flattened and he puffed out his lips, trying to protest.

"Oh, no, not the squishy fish face," Clarisse grumbled. "If you have homework, you best get your butt upstairs and take care of it. Am I clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," Halcen said, solemnly.

Later that day, when Halcen's parents were home, they all went downstairs for dinner. They all gathered in the dining hall, which fit many more people than they usually had. They had a chef to look after their dietary habits, Lamont. He was a good man, only in his late twenties. He was a fair man, hair and skin. He was slender, but still fit, and taller than everyone else in the house. He was the son of one of Gouchu's business partners, but he was like family to the Avariks.

Gouchu himself was a little older, in his fifties. He had a dusty gray beard that stuck out from his chin, and short graying hair atop his head. He wore round glasses that barely helped him see better. He was aged, physically, but his mind was still sharp. He dug into the food, vivaciously enjoying it.

Ren sat upright; she was a woman of class, and demanded proper etiquette, even though nobody followed her rules. She was getting up in years too, but still took good care of her looks. She was still a very pretty woman, there was no denying it. She turned to Halcen. "How was your day at school, dear?" she asked earnestly.

Halcen sighed in annoyance of the question. "Same as every day, mother," he huffed.

"Halcen," Gouchu butted in. "You treat your mother with respect."

Halcen quieted himself, ashamed.

Ren was clearly disappointed, but more so sad. Her face let on a lot more than she wanted anybody to realize. Halcen sometimes had to take the time to realize that she actually did care. While she liked to have nice appearances, she was truly a good person, and had never done anything intentional to hurt Halcen. She sighed.

There was a quiet, so Halcen tried to fix it. "We learned about the World Government economy. How their new businesses brought in by the Warlords is booming. It's kinda interesting," Halcen admitted.

"Now we know that's all just a lot of propaganda being forced by their media, right?" Gouchu asked his son.

"Well, not all that they're telling us is lies. We just have to dissect it to figure it out," Halcen responded. This was where he and his father really got along. They were both very intelligent people, and had all kinds of interesting thoughts about the world outside. However, Halcen knew that with his father's traveling experience and age, he had a lot more to base his ideas on that Halcen did; one of the reasons Halcen wanted to get off this island.

After dinner was over, the family had dismissed, and everyone went off to do their own thing as usual. Gouchu went his study to look over more business papers. Ren sat by the fire in the den, reading one of her new books. While they were busy, Halcen went to the kitchen to see Lamont.

"Halcen!" he said with joy upon seeing the boy. "Whatever are you doing down here?"

Halcen sniffed around, smelling the sweets he knew were cooking. "What have you got down here?" Halcen asked, trying to sound innocent.

"Oh, you're being quite the little squirt, today, aren't you?" Lamont asked.

Halcen crossed his arms and huffed.

"The way I hear it, you got into another scuffle. But I bet you didn't get into any trouble for it again, did you? You're a little nuisance, huh?" Lamont teased.

"Lamooooont," Halcen whined.

"Alright, alright. What'chu want?" He leaned over the island table in the kitchen and looked down at Halcen. He had big blue eyes. They reminded Halcen of the ocean. Lamont himself was just as mysterious. Seemingly came out of nowhere almost a year earlier, and still Halcen knew little about where he came from.

"What are you making?" Halcen looked around the kitchen. The place was a mess. But he knew Lamont always cleaned up after himself. He was quite the creative type, always trying new concoctions.

"Well, if you must know," Lamont said, waltzing about the kitchen, "I'm making chocolate."

Halcen's jaw dropped in salivation. His eyes sparkled. "Chocolate…" he muttered through the flood in his mouth.

"Now don't go getting any ideas, boy," Lamont warned him. "This is the fancy stuff for your father's business friends that he's going out to meet tomorrow. He's got to have gifts. This isn't for little boys. It's got a hefty amount of rum, and a bit of nut."

"But…"

"No, no. No buts. This ain't for little troublemakers like you. Now if you're still hungry, I can whip you up something."

Halcen sighed, crossed his arms over the counter, and flopped his head down. "I just wanted some candy."

Lamont took pity on the boy. "Alright, well how about this? I can't give you any of this, but tomorrow I can make you a fresh batch just for you, minus the rum."

Halcen looked up from his pouting. "Really?"

"Yeah." Lamont smiled that beaming, cheery face. He was so pale, but he was so lively.

"Alright."

"Good. Now you better scat. It's getting late. You got school tomorrow."

"Awwwwww," Halcen whined.

"You heard me, mister. Now git."

Halcen picked himself up, and turned out the kitchen, and headed upstairs to his room. He was upset that he couldn't get anything sweet tonight, but at least tomorrow he'd get some. So he stalked up the stairs, beginning to tire with each movement. His body was sore from the day. And he knew he needed sleep. The night was high, and his parents were sure to turn in any minute, as well as Clarisse and Lamont. They all had such predictable schedules.

Halcen lay down in his bed for the night. And soon he heard the footsteps and doors opening and closing throughout the rest of the house. And the light under his door died. The rest of the house became quiet. He was in peace.

And he let the night progress. Soon, he was stirred by a deep need. He sat up, and listened to the sounds of the quiet house. He stood up from his bed and put on his slippers. He needed to be quiet when moving so as not to rouse the rest of the house. He stalked downstairs, moving as slowly as possible to keep the floors from creaking.

He walked quickly across the open foyer into the kitchen. He looked around. It was immaculate. Lamont had cleaned up very neatly as he always did. This was no surprise. He was good housemate. But he wasn't there to check the cleanliness. He was there for the sweets. Halcen knew he wasn't supposed to be down there. But he needed his fix. The sugar was all he could think about. Why couldn't he have a couple pieces? Lamont was being unfair.

And there it was, sitting in nice packaging on the island. Lamont had taken individual pieces and wrapped them in various colored foil, then put them in a basket, and wrapped the basket in clear plastic with a beautiful bow on to keep it closed. Halcen knew this was going to be tricky, getting in and out without damaging it. But there were so many pieces. Surely, nobody would notice a few missing. He needed it.

Halcen picked up the bag, trying not to let the plastic crinkle. Even the smallest sounds late at night felt like nuclear explosions. He pulled it close to him, then set it gently on the ground. Being as short as he was, unwrapping the bow from the island would have been too troublesome.

But he stopped to listen. He needed to make sure nobody heard him. And that was when he heard the tiniest of creeks. He stopped and froze. It was coming from the back of the house. It could have been Lamont of Clarisse. Halcen was hidden behind the island, so looking in from the kitchen door, nobody could see him. But he had to wait.

Halcen listened as the sounds of scraping come across the floor. There was a small, high-pitched chuckle he could barely hear. What was going on? He tried to peer out from behind the island through the door, hoping to catch a glimpse. But there was nothing there.

Instead, a hand pulled around his mouth, and he tried to shout for help. But it was Lamont. He had pulled Halcen close to him. He gave Halcen the signal to be quiet. Halcen nodded and Lamont removed his hand. They were both crouched behind the island.

Halcen was about to whisper something, but Lamont put his hand over his mouth again and shook his head. He was not to make a sound. So they listened.

"Excuse me, sirs," Halcen heard Clarisse's dominating voice demand. "Is there something I can help you with?"

Halcen felt relieved. Whatever this was, surely Clarisse would take care of it. She was a very strong and up-standing woman. She could handle whoever had come.

"You can shut your mouth, old woman," a man's voice responded.

Then there was a loud shriek and a thud. Then atop it, the sound of more high-pitched cackling.

Halcen shouted "No!"

Lamont looked to Halcen and his eyes teared up as he shook his head. Halcen tried to stand up, but Lamont pushed him down and whispered "Do not move. Do not speak." He stood up and walked outside the kitchen to face whoever it was that was out there. He had a dark expression on his face. It scared Halcen.

"Lamont!" Halcen heard his father, Gouchu, shouting from upstairs. From the balcony, he could look down on the whole scene. Surely Halcen did not want to see what his father was seeing. But he could hear the pain in his voice. "What's going on, down there?"

Lamont must have been afraid. "These two men have come to our home, seeking violence, sir." He was surely on the verge of tears.

Halcen heard his father's steps down the stairs, thudding in anger. His father was not a strong man, but a smart man. He was very wealthy, and surely there had been many people in his life that had come after him for one reason or another. That was the life of a businessman. But this was beyond business. They had broken into his house and hurt his maid. There was something very wrong.

"What are you men after?" Gouchu demanded.

"Dear, what's going on?" Halcen heard his mother from the bedroom.

"Ren, stay upstairs," Gouchu shouted at her.

"No, I think she should join us," one of the men said.

"What are you doing?" Gouchu asked as feet moved.

"Leave her alone!" Lamont demanded. Halcen heard him jump at one of the men, and a struggle ensued. Then he heard a thud. "Oh, my God. What are you?"

Then that small chuckle Halcen had heard earlier came back, in full maniac form. He cackled in a high-pitched scream. And he could barely understand, but the monster spoke. "I'm here to kill every last one of you!"

Lamont cried out, and then he coughed hard. "Gouchu, run!" And then he was silent.

Halcen began to tear up as he heard the monster's footsteps thudding up the stairs. And his mother cried out in a loud shriek, just as Clarisse had.

"No, please, leave her alone!" Gouchu begged. "I'll give you anything you want. Just leave my family alone!" And then Halcen heard a spattering sound and another dropping thud. The sound of his father being murdered by the second man.

And suddenly, silence.

The monster upstairs traipsed across the hall upstairs towards Halcen's room. Look inside and said, in his gravely demon voice "There's nobody else in here. The kid must not be here."

Then the man downstairs answered. "Or he's hiding somewhere. We better make doubly sure."

"We'll just burn the house down like always. We gotta get going. If he's hiding somewhere, he'll die in the fire."

"Alright, I've got the gas."

There was the sound of splashing. Halcen began to smell the horrific putrid stink of the fire-starter. He knew his end was coming. If he waited until the aggressors were gone, the whole house would burn down around him. If he tried to run now, he would die too... but what would that matter? His whole family had just been slaughtered.

Halcen heard the match light. Then, a loud whoosh. The gas had been lit.

He stood up from his crouched position, shaking terribly. He reached for one of Lamont's butcher knives out from the wooden block. As his hand shook taking it out, it made a rattling sound. That alerted the men.

"There's someone in the kitchen!" The monster voice called.

Halcen staggered toward the door, holding the knife tightly in his hand, with the blade backwards. He finally made it, and tried to rest against the doorway. The gruesome sight before him sent him into flooding tears. He choked. There was his family. His father, Lamont, Clarisse. Each dead, bloodied, and now their bodies were burning. And upstairs he could see his mother's body as well. The fire would get to her soon enough.

Halcen's glare turned to the two men. The one standing near his dead family was a normal looking man. He had long black hair, and he was tall. The other, standing nearest him, was a werebeast of some sort. He had elongated limbs, covered in short black and brown striped fur, pointed ears, and a demon's face. He had long talons that were dripping blood.

This man was the product of a devil fruit, Halcen knew that. He had seen them a few times, humans with unique abilities. He did live in a pirate's oasis after all. He knew a bit about them. This man had eaten a Zoan fruit. Which beast, he could not tell. But he was a monster indeed. He stood in front of the fire as if it was nothing.

Halcen stared him in the face, and then charged, bringing the knife up, ready to slash. Yet the beast was faster and stronger than the boy. He swung his left arm across Halcen's face, sending him flying off his feet, across the room and smashed against the wall Lamont's dead body was leaned against.

The man with the black hair took over from there, pulling a hatchet from his belt. He was ready. He stepped across the fire and stood in front of Halcen, staring into his eyes. The man had the eyes of a killer. They were deep and merciless. Halcen feared him. He brought the hatchet up, ready to swing.

Halcen began to hyperventilate, breathing heavily. He was staring into the face of his end. "I'm going to kill you," he gasped. His mind began to race as he began trying to think of any way he might be able to fight back. He couldn't give up… but he wasn't fast enough.

The hatchet swiftly came down at him. Halcen closed his eyes as the weapon made contact with his face. The expected pain never came. Instead, he felt a heavy pressure, and heard a cracking that he thought surely must have been the sound of his skull being split in two. But he opened his eyes to see the man, staring back at him in abject horror.

The blade had cracked against Halcen's skin and a piece had flung back, cutting the man across his left cheek. Blood was just beginning to seep from his face. "What… what the hell are you?!" he cursed.

Halcen looked at himself, his hands and arms, to see that they were covered in a pitch black coating. What this was, he did not know. But he suddenly felt very powerful. He stood up, and watched the man back off in fear.

He turned to his partner, to whom he said, "We have to leave, now!" And off they ran, through the back of the house, away from the fire and the demon child.

Halcen slumped down on the ground, grabbing onto the body of his father. He sat still as the inferno raged around him, devouring the remains of everything he had ever loved. It howled against him ineffectively, incapable of giving him his place with with his family. So he began to sob uncontrollably.

Soon enough, as the flames reached uncontrollable levels, emergency fire services came to the house, knocking down the doors to find Halcen alive, in the fire, and covered in black. One of the men grabbed him and picked him up, rushing him out of the house as it burned down. There were no other survivors.

As the night began to fade into the dawn, and the fire died down, Halcen slipped away from the scene. A horde of people had come, bombarding him with questions that he wasn't able to deal with. He wanted rest. He wanted peace. He went down to the shore and watched as the sun came up.

When it did, he looked at himself, and could barely find the peach of his own skin. He was no longer covered in the mysterious black power, but dried blood and ash. The sight of it threw him into frenzy. His tears were dried out, but he was still in shock. He screamed out as he flung himself into the water, scrubbing himself furiously with his nails. He needed to get clean. He couldn't stay this filthy.

Finally, he began to settle down. His skin was inflamed and red, having scrubbed it raw, but he took solace in the fact that he was finally clean. His body now began to hurt. How could it be that after all that had happened, only his self-inflicted assault was enough to hurt him? He couldn't figure out where that power came from. He had never eaten a Devil Fruit... so where?

He stood up, staring over the ocean. He may not have known about this mysterious power, but he sure as hell knew he needed to get off this God-forsaken island. He couldn't stay there. There was nowhere for him to stay. He had no home, no family. It was time to leave.

Avarik Halcen strode through the docks of Kuzonid, dodging multiple people in his quest. People were running around carrying all kinds of stuff. His body was still wet, and his shoes slapped the boards of the docks, leaving wet prints as he went.

The port itself was well put together. It had enough for a dozen ships at a time. Considering how small the island itself was, that was quite a large number. The men and women of the port almost stepped on his multiple times, and many began shouting at him to get out of their way. They were all in a rush, and a little runt in their way would only mess things up. But he would not be deterred. He was there for a reason. And there it was. He waltzed right up to one of the larger ships, climbed on over the brow, and finally onto the boat.

Halcen looked around in excitement to see the busy crew. They were all making preparations for their departure. It looked like they had all had a good night's sleep, and their ship was nearly ready to go. At the helm, up above the main deck, stood the captain. Halcen recognized him immediately.

So he made his way across the deck, and had to dodge a few more rushing crew that nearly knocked him over the edge. Halcen glared at them in anger. Finally, he made it up the stairs and stood in front of the captain. He was a very tall man, larger than average men by about four feet. He was very wide, and had dark skin. He had strangely curled black beard and a small spot of hair on top of his head.

"Excuse me!" Halcen called the man.

He looked down at Halcen with his stale brown eyes. "What the hell are you doing on my ship, you runt?" the man asked with a stern glare.

"I'm here to join your crew!" Halcen shouted, trying to sound tough.

Everyone around laughed at him. "Who is this kid?" Somebody asked.

"My name is Avarik Halcen!"

"Is that so?" the captain asked. "Well, listen here, Avarik Halcen. Do you have any idea who we are?"

Halcen stared deeply at the man. "Of course I do. You're the first division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, "Diamond" Jozu. And this is your crew."

Jozu was taken aback. "If you know who we are, why do you want to join?"

"There's nothing for me on this island anymore. I want to leave, see the world, make my place in it. A life of adventure? Of finding dreams and fulfilling them with my own hands? Of making each day count? Of taking what you want, and being able to protect what's important in your life? A pirate's life sounds pretty damn good to me!"

Jozu laughed, his body rumbling with its magnitude, his crew laughing alongside him. "You've got guts, kid!"

"I think the old man will like this one," one of the crew added.

"Yeah, he's got spirit," another pitched in.

"I think you're right there." Jozu turned to his navigator. "Alright then, let's go see Whitebeard!"


	3. Prepare To Sail

**Author's Note: I STILL do not own One Piece, though I am furiously fighting the spirits to make it so. LOL XD**

 **So yeah, new chapter! Hope you like it!**

* * *

Prepare To Set Sail

Halcen woke up in the cabin room he and Grey were sharing. He sat upright and began to look around. Grey wasn't there. But the old man sure was a messy roommate. His bed was a mess and there was garbage everywhere. _But no beer bottles._ The thought made Halcen smile. At least there was that small comfort.

The room was quite small. Only about a ten by ten room, with a twin bed on each wall and a nightstand with a lamp on it in the middle. It was small, but it was affordable. That was all that Halcen was worried about for now. He had to make sure they were saving as much money as possible. If they could live without the little luxuries for a while, it would pay off in the long run.

Halcen stood up from his bed, and went to his bag that was lying on the floor. He dug through it to find some clothes, got changed, and then made the bed. _At least one of us cares about being neat,_ Halcen laughed to himself.

He stepped outside the room into the cramped hallway. It was the less-fortunate that slept in these tiny rooms, and the company didn't care to build much space for their comfort. The upper level was much nicer, but Halcen was fine as they were. He had grown used to giving up small comforts. He started walking down the hall to the stairs that went to the upper levels. _Grey's gotta be up here somewhere, probably talking some poor kid's ear off._

When Halcen got to the cafeteria, he looked around to find the man sitting alone at a table with an empty plate and a newspaper. Halcen walked across the room, having to avoid colliding with people carrying full plates of food. He didn't want to be covered in pancake syrup.

He sat down next to Grey at his tiny table next to the windows in the back. Halcen stared out to see the ocean water, trailing behind them. He turned to Grey. "Hey, buddy. How's it going?"

"You better go get yourself some food before they run out," Grey warned him.

"Well if you thought that was gonna happen, why didn't you wake me up?"

"And be subjected to the infamous Halcen tirade? I think not. It's not my fault you sleep so heavily."

Halcen sighed. "Alright, I'll be right back." He got up, and returned with a tray with two plates of food, and some water. He needed to fuel up. A runaway pirate without his strength wasn't much good. As he began to dig in, he noticed Grey was still reading the paper. "What the hell is so interesting on there? You haven't turned the page."

Grey pulled the paper down to look at Halcen. His face was a little worried. "It seems we've become newsworthy," Grey professed.

"What do you mean?" Halcen asked with a mouth full of food.

"Jesus, boy, manners."

"Alright, alright." Halcen swallowed. "So what's going on?"

"Take a look."

Halcen took the paper. Grey was stuck on the page with new bounties on it, that let everyone know who was new and dangerous, or had become more dangerous. A few names he recognized from his time under Whitebeard, but most he didn't. Then he came to two names that he knew meant trouble. "It's us," he gulped. "Oh fuck."

"Indeed."

"We've only been gone, what? A week? How did they get wind of this?"

"No idea. But apparently the fact that we've struck out on our own made the World Government take notice."

There they were, two men with their own faces on bounties. Avarik Halcen: Wanted Dead or Alive. 50,000,000 belly. And next to him. "Saint" Axcel D. Grey: Wanted Dead or Alive. 115,000,000 belly. But Grey didn't have a current picture. It was from when he was much younger.

"At least they haven't found me," Grey said, thankfully.

"Not yet. It's a 10 million bump each. Why even bother?" When they had left Whitebeard, Halcen only had a bounty of 40 million, and Grey had one for 105 million. Where is this new number coming from?

"It looks like they want to keep track of us. Us leaving Whitebeard's crew must have spooked them. They're not sure what we're up to, or what kind of threat we're going to pose."

"They think we're going to be a threat? To the World Government? We haven't even done anything. What kind of crazy shit goes on in their heads?"

"No idea." Grey began looking more worried. This was going to be a big deal if they got caught. Grey's bounty alone would turn some heads. But as long as they kept their own heads down, they should have been fine. They had seen many people with high bounties walk around without a care.

"And why don't I get a nickname?" Halcen complained.

"Trust me, once you've actually done something, you'll get one. This one has stuck with me for years…"

"Saint…? I guess even the World Government knows how nice you are."

Grey chuckled. "I don't think that's where it came from."

"How did you get it?"

"I'll tell you another time. For now, we gotta get off this ship before somebody realizes who we are."

"Well, we're scheduled to dock in a few hours. We should be fine."

And a few hours later, they landed at their destination. Halcen and Grey stepped of the Vintage Royale, a Comfort Suites ship, and onto the island of Corteano. It was a huge hub island in the East Blue. There were a lot of corporations that had set up shop, hence the docking of a major cruise ship. Halcen would be able to get them a ship here. The island had a decently large city with all kinds of things to offer.

In front of them, the city buildings towered. It had at least a dozen skyscrapers. They were all different shapes and sizes and colors; a brilliant majesty that also reflected the greatness of the sea surrounding it. The city itself housed almost a million people. It was huge.

There were all forms of entertainment such as a stadium, arcades, theaters, and even karaoke bars. There were shops for anything you might need with at least a hundred food places to choose from, including a gorgeous open air market where locals could sell anything they had acquired in their travels, had grown, or crafted themselves. But Halcen was here for a more… unsavory sort of business. There were men here that dabbled in the black market that Halcen had come to see.

Halcen led Grey through the winding city streets. As they passed, they glimpsed the city's interactions with itself. Typically, he would have allowed himself to get lost in it all, but Halcen had no time to stay and play. They passed the smell of cooking meat, beautiful flowers, dancing women, and even the sound of raucous pubs. Regardless of each tempting sin, he was on a mission. He knew he needed to maintain a one track mind to make it work.

Finally, after about an hour of quick strides and refusing to stop for tourist traps, they arrived. Halcen had led them to a one-story shop tucked away in the back streets of the city. It was all still decently kept, but it was still darker because the light was blocked by the bigger buildings surrounding the place. Halcen stepped inside, motioning for Grey to follow.

The inside was fairly nice. It had plenty of open space. A few tables were laid out with chairs around them, but there were no people, except for the man standing at the bar.

Grey spoke quietly. "Are you sure we should be here?"

"Relax, Grey. I know these people." Halcen kept walking up to the bartender. He was a rather wide man, and a smidge taller than Grey. Grey was tall and a bit lean, but this guy was huge. He had dark skin and stared vehemently at the two. "Hey Pad," Halcen said to the man.

"Halcen," he said with a low voice, continuing his stare. He looked enraged. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for Maxxie. Is he around?"

"He's out."

Halcen sighed, then sat at one of the stools. "Really? Where'd he go? Please tell me he's at least in town."

Pad just shook his head.

"Damn." He huffed and then rubbed his face. "Alright, well this is pretty important. Can I work this through you, or is there a way I can get ahold of him?"

Pad hesitated. "Who's the geezer?"

Halcen looked back over his shoulder to see Grey, who was still just standing there. "Grey, come sit down." Halcen motioned with his head.

Grey walked slowly towards the seat next to Halcen, keeping his eyes fixed on the unknown man. He was uncomfortable around unsavory characters like this. He knew nothing about underground dwellers. Grey himself was a pirate, yes, but he had honor. He was not so certain these men did. He sat down, and Halcen turned back to Pad.

"This is Grey. He is going to be my first mate," Halcen told Pad. "So anything you can say to me, you can say to him. No secrets between us."

"You're striking out on your own?" Pad asked, almost as if he cared. "Interesting…"

"Hey! Hey!" Halcen jested. "You're just jealous 'cause you're stuck behind that bar. Come on now, admit it, if you could leave this place you would. You must have dreams of you own!"

Pad's eyes glossed over as he drifted back to a time when things were simpler… "I wanted to be a ballerina," he whispered.

Halcen closed his mouth tightly to prevent himself from laughing. He nodded then finally said "I'm sure that must have been very difficult for you."

"What do you want, Halcen?" Pad finally asked, getting tired of the gossip.

"I need to redeem a favor."

Pad raised his eyebrow. "Oh?"

Halcen nodded, smirking.

"You're gonna have to talk to Max."

"How do I get ahold of him?"

Pad began to reach for something under the bar.

Grey jerked forward, unsure of his intent.

Pad stopped for a moment, then drew up to his full height, set his shoulders firmly, and shook his head slightly. He stared into Grey's eyes. "Don't do it, old man."

"Grey, stop," Halcen said. "I got it."

Pad took out a den den mushi from under the counter, and got it ready. Soon, it was making a dial tone. "Yeah, what do you want?" a voice from the other side blasted.

"Max, Avarik Halcen is here to speak to you."

"Oh, is he?" He had a sort of raspy voice

"Hello, Maxxie," Halcen said to the den den mushi.

"What do you want, Halcen?"

"Oh come now, you don't have to be that way. Can't we be friendly?"

"Friendly? With you? Come on, what do you want?"

Halcen chuckled. "Alright, you got me." And then he paused. "I need a favor."

There was a silence. "Are you fucking kidding me?" finally he asked. "Avarik 'the hoarder' Halcen wants a favor? And what makes you think I'd want to help out a washed out Whitebeard Pirate? Oh yeah, I heard."

Halcen's face flinched in rage. Then he composed himself. "Listen here, Maxxie. First off, let's not forget that you owe me. What I did for you was pretty big. Second, I'm striking out on my own, and I need the equipment to get started. Whitebeard is old news, you hack. I'm the future."

Max hesitated. "What did you have in mind?"

"I need a ship and a crew to work it."

"Excuse me? That's a pretty tall order to fill, don't you think?"

"I know you've got the resources."

"That may be, but what I owe you, does not cover this. Not only are you talking about taking my resources, but you're talking about cutting out incoming costs from running the ship and crew which brings in revenue."

"Alright, so give me something small, and only a few people for the time. I don't need anything fancy right now, just something to get me started. Plus, I'll we'll say I owe you another one on top of this. How about that?"

Grey watched Halcen working the deal. The man was an artist with these people. He could talk his way out of or into anything. Sometimes, that in and of itself seemed to be what got him into trouble in the first place. He seemed to be getting quite full of himself.

"Well, well… having Avarik Halcen owe me wouldn't be so bad. I could think of some good ideas to use that for."

"But only if it matches the difference," Halcen made sure to add.

"Yeah, yeah. Alright, fine, you've got yourself a deal."

Halcen smiled.

"We've got a few ships in the harbor. Pad will see to it that one gets outfitted. But it won't be ready until tomorrow, so I suggest you find yourself a place to crash for the night. In fact, you should go out, enjoy the city. There's plenty to do."

Halcen left with Grey in tow, having secured the two of them a ship and crew for their new adventure. He was proud of himself. This was only step one of his plan, but it was something he had accomplished. There's still plenty more to do.

Halcen and Grey walked back through the city to find a cheap motel for the night. Halcen knew a lot about the island. Grey could tell he knew exactly where he was going.

Once they finally settled into their room, Grey asked Halcen. "So you've been here before?"

"Oh yeah, a few times. I used to do some side-work with Max when we were with Whitebeard."

"Did he know?"

"Oh yeah. He seemed to like the idea that we had influence with some of the underground members. Max is a real well connected guy. Doing good work with him gets you places."

"I see," Grey pondered.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I just didn't know all this was going on."

"That's what happens when you turn yourself off for two decades."

Grey got quiet, discomforted.

"Listen Grey, we're gonna be fine. I know how to deal with these people. I've taken years to learn the in's and out's of their system. I can do this. I just need your support."

Grey nodded, smiling. "Of course, you have that."

"Now, let's get out of this place and go take in the city. All our business is already arranged. We can unwind a bit... but we don't have much cash! So let's be careful about what we use it on."

* * *

Halcen and Grey met Pad down at the harbor a bit past noon. They had taken the time to eat and get cleaned up. Neither knew when they might have functioning facilities such as a bath again. They each grabbed their bags and headed out. Halcen was ready with a grin.

There stood Pad, all two-hundred fifty pounds of him. The behemoth was waiting patiently, but still seemed angry when they did arrive. "You're late," he spoke with long strokes.

"Aw, come on, big guy," Halcen joked, "We're only a few minutes off."

Pad sighed, unimpressed. He turned to walk down the docks. Halcen assumed they were supposed to follow. So they did. As they walked past the busy city people, Halcen was reminded of the first time he got on a ship. It was so long ago. And he never went back. Now, he was starting another new journey. Hopefully this one works out well.

The trio stopped next to a smaller ship. Halcen would say it was only maybe a quarter of the size of the Moby Dick. It was a very standard model. Nothing fancy, just like Halcen had asked for. The majority of the ship was a normal wooden brow. But there was a design painted from the front, a small line that expanded as it went to the back, and curved upward into making the whole stern black. It had two masts with full white sails. The figurehead at the bow was the head of a black bird. It was quite the sight.

"This is the Black Tail," Pad stated.

My own ship. Halcen beamed with excitement. It may not have been fancy, but that didn't make ait any less beautiful to Halcen. He wanted to get on and begin this next adventure.

Pad kept talking. "It's a very standard equipped ship. A few rooms, bunks, a small kitchen, head; everything you should need. If you have any questions about it, you can ask the shipwright, Bailu." Pad led them aboard and began introducing him to their new crew.

Bailu was the shipwright. He was a kind of older man, in his fifties. He was short and fat, but very capable. He seemed to be annoyed at this new turn of events, being pulled off whatever it was he was already doing, and put to work for pirates. But he was getting paid, so he didn't complain.

Valentina was the navigator. She was young, a bit taller than Halcen, had long pink hair, and a lustrous body. She seemed very virile to Halcen. But she seemed a bit more interested in the job than him. Halcen felt like he was going to have to wear her down.

Loyola was a dark skinned woman in her forties who had a big smile. She had a mane of smooth brown hair she had tied back. She was mainly there as an extra hand; a jack of all trades. She was there to help with basic maintenance, run the sails, and anything else they might need.

Lastly, there was Jory. He had honest blue eyes that told Halcen he was earnest and trustworthy. He had a buzzcut so you could barely tell he had brown hair. He was a quiet, nice young kid; only about sixteen. But he was strong and supposed to be decent with a sword. He was there as protection, mainly for the other crew members. Halcen and Grey were well known to be very capable themselves.

"Avarik Halcen, this is your crew," Pad said introducing them one at a time.

Halcen smiled with pride as he shook each of their hands. And then he introduced himself to the whole group. "I am Avarik Halcen, and I am going to be your captain. You may be getting paid by the company, but you're going to be answering to me for now. Henceforth, we shall be known as the Chaos Pirates! And we are going to have some fun."

After him was Grey. "My name is Grey. I suppose I'm going to be your first mate. Anything you need, you can come talk to me. I look forward to getting to know you all." Grey was sincere as he looked each individual in the eyes.

As Pad left, shaking his head, Halcen got the other raring to go. "Let's set sail!"

"Where are we headed, Captain Halcen?" Valentina asked.

Halcen looked to Grey. "We're going to see your old friend, 'Red-Haired' Shanks."


	4. In The Line Of Fire

**Author's Note: I put "Ownership Rights to One Piece" on my Christmas List... we'll see what happens! XD**

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In The Line Of Fire

Halcen stared down from the crow's nest, spying on his new crew from his perch. They were all trying to keep busy as Valentina kept the ship moving. Once their course had been set, there became little to do, hence why Halcen was up in the crow's nest instead of down on the deck.

He enjoyed the sailing breeze flowing through his unruly hair. _This is the life,_ Halcen thought to himself, smiling like a buffoon. He was glad he was alone up there, with nobody to watch him. Admittedly, he was excitedly buzzed by all the new events. He was the captain of a brand new pirate crew. This was a great success to him. He had finally landed the power to make this a reality. All those many years under Whitebeard and he had never been given this responsibility. Halcen couldn't be happier.

Halcen eventually came down from his perch to check the status of the new recruits. Grey seemed to be handling them expertly. He seemed very comfortable about having control of others. Halcen was thoroughly impressed, but he did still need to do some of the captaining himself. He couldn't let them see the first mate as their source of authority. This was his first shot at building a crew of his own. He needed to make it count.

So he went to Valentina. She was stuck up at the helm on at the back of the ship. She was very composed, and very stone-faced. Halcen needed to check in with her. "What the status, Valentina?" he asked, trying not to ogle.

She kept her eyes on the horizon; that was her job. "We're heading on a south-western course past the other islands in the East Blue. We'll be to Loguetown in hopefully about a week."

"Sounds like we're on our way," Halcen responded, happily. "If anything comes up, let me know."

"Roger that, Captain," Valentina answered.

Halcen stopped for a moment as he was turning away, smiled to himself, and continued on.

Grey saw Halcen coming down the steps, and came to greet him. "Do you have a sec?" Grey asked.

"Yeah, what's up?"

Grey looked around to make sure there weren't prying ears. "Are you really sure this is a good idea?"

"You don't like the name?" Halcen asked. "See, I was worried somebody might not like it. I mean, 'Chaos Pirates' does sound a little-"

"What? No, it has nothing to do with that." Grey shook his head, confused.

"Oh," Halcen said relieved, but a bit embarrassed. "Then what are you referring to?"

"Going to see Shanks."

"What about it?"

"Well… what do you think we're gonna get out of it?"

"Well, hopefully a little help."

"With what though?"

"I want payback."

"Halcen, if this is a revenge mission, Shanks isn't going to help. He's a keen man. He only gets involved when it's important."

"And this isn't important? Whitebeard's golden boy is a thief and a liar!"

Grey took a deep breath. "That's not what I meant. Shanks is one of the Yonko. His problems are a lot more pressing than ours." He took a moment to gather his thoughts. "I'm sure we can find a lot of other ways to do what you want to do."

"What are you saying, Grey?" Halcen was beginning to get irritated.

Grey sighed. "I'm saying, we can go through with this if you want to, but don't get your hopes up. Shanks most likely won't be willing to help in the way you want. So don't put all your eggs in one basket, and get discouraged when it doesn't work out. I'm sure we can find other ways to get done what you want to."

"So you're not saying don't go to Shanks?"

"No, we can go. Honestly, I would like to see him. But he's a very… stubborn man. He likes things a certain way and he's not often open to suggestions, alright?"

Halcen nodded. "Fair enough."

Grey put his hand on Halcen's shoulder. "Everything is gonna turn out fine, regardless of how things go down with Shanks. We've got your smarts."

Halcen laughed. "Smarts? Does that mean we got your dumbs?"

Grey began to laugh with Halcen. "Alright, alright. Let's get back to work."

Halcen had Grey bring him up to speed with the other crew members. It seemed like everything was functioning well. The Black Tail was smaller, but it was nearly brand new, so it wouldn't need very much effort to keep it maintained. All these newer models were actually pretty sturdy. That's all they needed. And Bailu was making sure nothing else would keep them from their destination.

Then there was Loyola, who was running around double-checking all the little possible things she could think of. She was trying to keep herself busy, so as to not be worried.

And Jory was standing, almost completely still, gazing out at the ocean.

Halcen walked up to him. "Amazing, isn't it?"

"It really is, sir," Jory said, too formally.

Halcen laughed. "You don't have to call me 'Sir.' My name will do just fine… or maybe 'Captain.' I am only a few years older than you, you know?"

"But you seem to have so much more experience than me."

"That may be, but that doesn't mean I'm any less of a person." Halcen stopped, in a darkening realization. _At least I hope not._ "Anyway, just make sure you don't overwhelm yourself. I don't think we're gonna have much use for swords out here. Maybe pick up a gun, and start some target practice while we wait," Halcen laughed, walking away.

And it was then that Halcen heard a writhing scream shoot through the sky. He turned around suddenly to watch a flare in the distance. It was a distress signal. There was an island under it, but still a good distance off.

 _Somebody's in trouble._

Halcen jumped into action, and ran up to Valentina, who was still at the wheel.

"Captain!" she shouted, seeing him. She was nervous.

"What's over there?" he asked, hoping she knew the immediate area.

"It's mostly trees and rock. It's only a few miles across. Not big enough for a city so nobody's ever really done much exploring."

"How long would it take to circle it?"

"Probably around two hours."

 _Damn it! That's too long. If somebody IS in trouble, they'll be long dead by the time we get done with a perimeter sweep._ "Alright, let's get this baby over there! We need to find a place to anchor off shore, then Grey and I will jump. And we'll signal if it's safe for you to come. Make sure you prepare cannons once we get off. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Captain!"

"Alright, let's go!"

Soon they were close enough to the shore of the island that Halcen felt comfortable diving in and swimming the rest of the way. Before he leapt, he grabbed Jory, shoved a rifle in his hands, and told him "This is what you're here for. You make sure nobody gets aboard this ship without us, alright? You stay here and protect these people."

And then they were gone. Grey, an old man; and Halcen, the young Captain. They were off to mount a rescue for someone in need. The water was cool and their bodies weren't accustomed to it. It had been a while since their need for diving into ocean water. But that was the life of a pirate. You never knew when what might happen. And this was one of those times.

Halcen swam strongly, but Grey got to the shore before him. He was already standing lookout when Halcen pulled up. He looked to Halcen and put his finger to his lip. He was listening. This was one of the greatest things about Grey: he was experienced. He knew what to do and when. And now was the time for caution. Halcen had learned a lot about caution from him, and not just when it came to matters of piracy.

Halcen heard ruffling far off. And then a crying out. He couldn't tell if it was a man or woman, but it was definitely human. They sounded in pain. _They're here. Whoever shot off that flare is nearby. But did they do it because they had an accident and there was nobody around, or was it because there's somebody here trying to hurt them?_ If it was the second, they needed to be extra careful.

Halcen and Grey pushed forward through the brush, trying to be as quiet about the forward progression as they went. Once they were on the other side, all they could see was green, and the smell of lush forestry. But it felt humid. It was gorgeous, but hot. Halcen could hear the insects, and see the birds flitting about. This place definitely had its own ecosystem.

But along with that, Halcen could feel the pressure of others… not how many or where exactly, but there was definitely more than one. He had trained in Haki while with Whitebeard, not just armament, but sensory too. Though he was struggling with it, it was coming to him slowly.

And as they made the clearing, Halcen felt an aggressive presence, and looked to see a glint of metal far off to his left. He pushed himself in front of Grey and covered himself in Haki. Immediately, black coated his body. And a millisecond later, a bullet bounced off him, a loud cracking sound following it.

Halcen grunted in pain. He'd taken bullets before, but this one was strong. _Snipers._ "Grey, stay back!" Halcen shouted as he remained standing in front of the man. He put his arms out to widen his coverage, producing a human shield.

"Halcen! Are you okay?"

"I'm Fine! There's a sniper here. At least a few other people too."

"We gotta get back to the ship!"

"No! If we do that, we put the crew in danger. We gotta take these guys out!"

"Alright, what's the plan?"

"You do some recon. I'll stay and fight. There are more of them here. Find out how many! Go!"

And like that, Grey slipped away.

Halcen relaxed his body, and smiled a knowing, wicked smile. "Now that he's gone," he said out loud, almost shouting, "I don't have to worry about protecting anybody. I can let loose." And he began to walk forward, still coated in Haki.

A second bullet shot from elsewhere, hitting Halcen right in the forehead. His body took the force from the impact, and his neck snapped back. But he was still smiling. He brought his head back and looked up to his right where the second bullet had come from. "So there are two of you, eh?"

"Actually," said a grumbling, accented voice, "There are more of us than that." And out from more brush, stepping into the clearing in front of Halcen, was a Marine. He was very tall, at least a foot taller than Grey, and he was bulbous. His body was rounded, but he still seemed very strong. He was wearing a long flowing Marine cape. Halcen knew he was an officer.

 _So the Marines set a trap for us._ Halcen laughed to himself, and smiled. _What a nice test this will turn out to be._ Halcen stood up tall and braced himself. He had no idea what kind of power this man might have.

The giant Marine man had an older face and long black hair tied back in a ponytail. He was at least forty. But he looked to have taken very good care of himself. Apart from that though, he really wasn't very distinguishable other than his size. He had no special equipment or weapons to set him apart.

"I am Commodore Reluji," he announced. He stood as if he was a hero, but Halcen could tell he had darkness within. "Avarik Halcen, by the power of the World Government, you are under arrest."

Halcen laughed in response. "You think I'm going to just go with you?"

"Not at all. That's what the snipers are for."

"Except they've already failed. You would think a man of your position would be able to recognize a pointless fight when you came to it. I suggest you turn around and leave before you and your crew get hurt."

"I can't do that. I guess I'll have to take you out myself. But what happened to the old man, 'Saint' Grey? He's the one I came for."

"Grey?" Halcen laughed. "He's my backup. I'm sure he's around here somewhere."

" _Your_ backup? He's not… the Captain?"

Halcen shook his head, smirking. "Oh you poor man. You didn't know who you were up against. Let me give you a little detail. I'm the Captain of the Chaos Pirates, Avarik Halcen. And Grey is my first mate."

The man stood dumbfounded, with his mouth agape. He had thought Halcen was going to be an easy fight. Only a fifty million bounty? That sounded pretty easy to most of the higher up Marine officers. But this guy was way out of his depth. They had underestimated Halcen; that was good… for him.

"Would you like to reconsider running away?" Halcen offered.

"And ruin my reputation as a Commodore? Ha! Never."

"You're a moron," Halcen laughed, shaking his head.

Reluji got prepared. He turned sideways and stuck his legs apart, bending his knees. Then he stuck out his left arm and kept him right close to his chest. He was getting ready for a fight. He was serious.

Halcen was already coated in Haki. So he waited, testing the man's mettle.

Reluji charged. He was big so Halcen was sure he was also going to be slow. But Reluji was relatively quick for his size. That wasn't supposed to happen. Halcen's confidence was bashed almost immediately.

Halcen knew he had to be faster than him. He was smaller, therefore had the advantage. So he dove down between his legs and Halcen skidded across the dirt on the ground, causing some of it to billow. He twisted back around to Commodore Reluji's back. His right arm swung through the air, ready to strike.

Instead, another bullet smashed into his left shoulder, pelting him with pain. His punch was thrown way off and he missed, creating a gap big enough for the Commodore to turn and swing his right leg into Halcen's side. He fell to the ground in a heave.

 _So this is what it's like to fight a hig_ _h ranked_ _Marine_ _officer._ Commodore was only one rank below Rear Admiral. That meant Reluji was the fifth highest rank in the Marines. It made sense that he was going to be immensely powerful. Not to mention he had snipers trained on Halcen to shoot him whenever it seemed he might get the upper hand. _This guy has everything planned out. He's smart. So now what the hell am I supposed to do?_ Halcen cursed in his head, unable to formulate a plan to kill both snipers while fighting the Marine officer. And _where is Grey?_

Halcen rolled back, trying to gain some ground between him and his attacker. He was still coated in Haki, but he was in pain. Three bullets would still have been a lot for an armament Haki master, and Halcen was no master. He was very adept in it, and had a good natural affinity, but he had his limits. _I need to end this as fast as possible._

Halcen rushed back to the man, using him as cover from the snipers. All he knew was they were both coming from the west. What their specific locations were, he could not tell. He knew one was positioned more to the north and the other was more to the south. They had to be relatively close to where Halcen was fighting to be able to have this good of sight on him.

Halcen unleashed a barrage of punches on the Marine's stomach, but it didn't seem to do much. Reluji was clenching his body very tightly. Halcen was only pushing him back a little bit with each blow, which was not nearly enough to gain real ground in this fight. He couldn't tell if the man was also using armament Haki to keep the area on his body protected, or if he was just that strong. Reluji laughed with each strike. He was toying with Halcen.

Then Halcen stopped for a brief moment, realizing how little he was doing to the giant. And in that split second of indecision, he was attacked. A single upward kick to the chin sent the new captain up into the air. And from there, he was target practice. He felt the first bullet hit his chest, which sent him spinning in the air; and the other hit his back, which threw him facedown into the ground.

The pirate landed with a hard cough. He was badly in pain. He couldn't let this fight go on any longer. "Fine then," Halcen growled. "I'll go all out!" Halcen stood back up. This time, he was going to do some serious damage. He pulled from his belt a knife in his right hand and a pistol in his left. _I'm gonna kill this bastard!_

Reluji swung his right arm again. Halcen dodged it, ducking down and grinding on his knees, and slashed Reluji's arm as he went. Blood came oozing out. He had gotten deep. The good news was he wasn't using armament Haki. He was just tough. _Now that I know you can bleed…_ Sensing sniper fire was coming, Halcen bobbed back down again, hiding behind the Marine Commodore. One of the bullets almost hit their boss. _That will make them uneasy._

Halcen turned inward and cut deep into Reluji's left leg as he jumped between the giant's legs and through to get back on the side he could still he used as cover. Reluji was nothing but a human shield at this point.

Reluji didn't seem to notice it though. He jumped at Halcen, trying to grapple him. If he could get ahold of the smaller man, that would be the end of the battle. He had been injured twice and was losing blood. Worse, one of his legs was injured, so excessive pressure on it was going to painful, and that would cost him the fight in the long run.

Halcen had his gun aimed as Reluji came for him. He was pulling the trigger as he was grabbed. Halcen was pushed, and his arm jerked, shooting the man in the right leg.

Reluji shouted in agony. Now both his legs were wounded, this one much more severe. He knew he wasn't going to be able to continue fighting. He fell to the ground, hard. He was unable to continue his assault against Halcen.

With that, Halcen raised his gun at the man's head. But now that Reluji wasn't acting as a human shield, the snipers had eyes on Halcen again. His left hand suddenly stung immensely as his own gun was shot from it. "Fuck!" he shouted in rage.

"Commodore Reluji!" a man's voice called.

Halcen watched as a man came from the brush far to his left. He was holding a rifle aimed at Halcen. _One of the snipers._ Halcen's face twitched with anger. He charged the man with his knife, not knowing where his gun had gone. But the second he brought up the knife, it too was shot from his hand. _The other sniper!_ Halcen stopped in anger, staring dead eyes towards where he was sure the bullet had come from.

Then the first gunman charged Halcen. As Halcen swung around to hit the man, his own face was smacked with the butt of the rifle, and in one fell swoop, he was tripped to the ground and the Marine was on top of his chest, with his rifle pointed at Halcen's face.

Halcen was literally staring down the barrel of a gun. He didn't know what to do, so he laughed.

"Commodore Reluji, can you move?" the Marine asked.

"Yeah, I can stand. But it hurts." He was angry.

"Get back to the ship. We'll cover you from here."

"Don't order me around, Marine. I'm the one in charge!"

To Halcen, it seemed like Commodore Reluji was pissed because a lower rank Marine had gotten the better of the pirate instead of him. To have to be saved by one of your crew from a pirate would be pretty embarrassing. Halcen continued to laugh. "That's right, Commodore, it's time to run away like the little bitch you are! Don't worry. The big bad snipers will protect you!"

With an enraged huff, Reluji limped away. He was in no shape to fight, and he knew it.

 _Pathetic._ Halcen took a minute to look at the man holding him down.

He had semi-dark olive skin, straight, short brown hair. He had a bulbous nose as well. He seemed yet a bit older than Halcen. He had dark eyes though, those of a trained killer. He was quite strong.

"What do you think you're doing?" Halcen chuckled.

"Holding you down while the Commodore gets to safety."

"You do realize that gun isn't an actual threat right? It can't kill me."

"It might not be able to kill you, but this close? I'm sure it'll cause a lot of pain. I don't care how strong your Haki is, you still can't resist a rifle bullet this close. If you could, you would have thrown me off with no care to your own self."

"So you're gonna sacrifice yourself to save your leader?" Halcen laughed. "How noble."

"We Marines aren't like you pirates. We have honor." He signaled for his friend to come out of hiding to give him backup without moving his own body from its position. There was nobody else around now except Halcen and the two hitmen.

The other one came out of hiding. He was a bit smaller than the one that had rushed Halcen, pale yellow skin, and short black hair. But he definitely still had the same eyes: murderous. He held his rifle on Halcen the whole time, making sure to offer his ally enough leeway to move from his position. They were sure their Commodore had made it to his ship unscathed.

 _But where is Grey?_

The two Marines created a back-to-back formation with their rifles ready on both directions. Halcen had to wait until they finally disappeared into the brush to finally stand back up.

Then Grey came out from his hiding place way off to the side. "Where the fuck have you been?"

"I was hiding."

"Why didn't you help me?"

"I was waiting to see if you actually needed me. Apparently you didn't."

"So you were just gonna stand there and let me get shot?"

"Hey, I was right behind the second sniper the whole time. If I had sensed that you were in any actual danger, I would have intervened. But you did pretty well. I'm impressed."

"So this was what to you? A test?"

"Halcen, I wanted to see how you could do handling things on your own. You're the captain of a pirate crew now. That means you gotta be capable."

"Key word being 'crew.' That means 'team.'" Halcen was furious.

"Alright, alright. Do you want me to help you chase them down or not?"

Halcen gave him a stupid stare then motioned with his arm.

"Then let's go." And off they went, chasing through the trees and bushes after the crew of Marines.

After about a half hour, they came upon them, hearing them from a distance. Halcen could hear their shouts. The sounds of ocean water and a crew could be heard too. Their ship was near. Halcen and Grey picked up the pace, trying to make sure they didn't miss them. If they missed the Marines, they'd just come back in more force. The two knew what needed to be done.

As they came upon the rise, they saw the Marine ship, making way from the shore. It was slow, but it was leaving. "Damn it, we can't let them all get away!" Halcen shouted.

And they weren't. Halcen saw the two snipers wading in the water just in front of them, shouting at the ship that was leaving without them. "Commodore, what are you doing?" one of them shouted.

"Don't leave without us! We're right here!" the other bellowed.

And there stood Reluji, a Commodore of the Marines, on his ship, surrounded by full crew in his support. He stood fully, tall and in arrogance. "You two have failed your mission to kill the pirate. You were brought along for that one purpose. So I have no need for you anymore! Now you can rot here on this island." And like that, he turned his back, and his ship sailed away.

Halcen and Grey stood there in disbelief. The Marine ship was getting away, but the events that had just transpired were beyond appalling. Halcen was actually pretty amused.

When the men had finished wailing in anger, they had to turn around to try to find their way off the island. They had important things to deal with now. But there, in their way stood the pirates, cutting off their exit.

"I thought you said Marines has honor," Halcen spat. "That didn't look much like honor to me."

Their guns were slung around their shoulders, but Halcen and Grey pulled out their own pistols before either Marine could reach their guns. Halcen had recovered both his weapons before running off after them.

"Don't even try it," Grey said.

The two men raised their arms into the air.

"Alright," Halcen commanded them. "Let's go."

"Where are we going?"

"You're going to be my prisoners now. I mean, unless you'd rather be stranded here."

"And just what are you going to do with us?"

"I guess you're just gonna have to wait and see."

"Why don't you just kill us?" The yellow-skinned one asked.

"At this point, that would just be inhumane. Besides, I can think of a thousand different things you'd be useful for. Now let's go."

They both agreed. Halcen and Grey forced them out of the water and began to walk behind them. They took both of the Marines' rifles and slung them over their own backs. Halcen had to admit upon inspection of the weapons, they were beautiful pieces of machinery. Halcen was quite impressed. But he wasn't a marksman, and it would do little for him. Maybe he could get Jory trained with it. He did hope the boy had a knack for guns. If a sword was the only thing he could use, he was going to have a hard time at sea.

When finally they got through all the brush, the sun was beginning to set. Halcen realized they had wasted most of the day on this damned island. And in it, he had gained nothing out of it other than two more mouths he had to feed. Where was that going to get them?

Suddenly as they stepped out of the brush where their ship was anchored near, Halcen heard the cracking sound of a gun. He looked to Grey to realize it wasn't the old man accidentally firing one off into their new captives. He looked ahead to see Jory, standing on the ground facing them, with the rifle Halcen had given him in his arms.

Jory suddenly looked very surprised when he saw Halcen and Grey behind the Marines. "Oh my God! I'm so sorry, sir. I was just trying to protect the ship from the Marines."

"Luckily enough, you're a shitty shot," Halcen swore as the group walked by him. He grabbed the rifle from Jory. "Get back on the ship. And make sure these guys stay under lock and key."

"Yes, sir," Jory accepted trembling.

Halcen finally got back on the ship with everyone aboard. Their new friends were locked up, and out of earshot. Halcen called a crew meeting. He was livid. "Now I know we only just got together, but this operation cannot continue with such shoddy performances." He turned to Jory, who was just a scared kid in his eyes. "If you want to be out here, you need to listen to orders! This is my ship, my crew! My commands are law! If you want to go running off on your own, get your own damned crew! I told you all to stay on the ship to make sure nobody got on. Did I say get off and come to the shore and shoot anything that comes through the bushes? I don't remember saying that, and I have a pretty good memory. If I wanted you to do that, I would have fucking told you to do that! Do you understand?"

Jory's face was red, and twitching. Halcen could tell he was holding back, which was good. "Yes, Captain."

"Good. Now for you three."

"Excuse me?" Valentina defended. "We didn't do anything wrong."

"Oh, didn't you?" He stared in her eyes. "Okay, so tell me what happened when Jory decided to be an action hero? Did you stop him? No, I don't think so. There is no playing solo on this ship. And if you can't enforce my words to the rest of the crew, then you're not doing your job either."

Valentina was clearly very upset. Almost on the verge of tears. But she needed to be able to handle it. This was a pirate ship. And their captain was a pirate.

"Is that clear?"

"Yes, Captain," each of the others muttered.

"And lastly, Grey."

Grey looked down at him in surprise.

"You followed me off that that ship and we've done little since. Now, we're only just dipping our toes in it, and you want to start messing around? You've been a pirate for longer than I've been alive! You damn well better know how to act when we're out of the field of battle. No more disappearing, no more little tests. You show up when I need you! Do you get that?"

"Yes," Grey hissed.

"Yes, what?" Halcen got closer.

"Yes, _Captain_ ," Grey barely managed to mutter.

"Good." Then Halcen turned to the rest of the crew. "Now, let's get the fuck out of here."


	5. What Pirates Do

**So I've been working really hard on making sure I get a chapter out per week. Make sure you guys follow or favorite so you can keep up on Halcen's adventure. There's A LOT more in store for him and Grey. ;D**

 **Still do not own One Piece. Am sad. Need hug. :(**

* * *

What Pirates Do

Halcen went down below deck to one of the rooms of the Black Tail they had cordoned off as their temporary "brig." Being that this ship was rather small, and wasn't originally meant to be a pirate ship, it didn't come with all the unnecessary amenities. This was something Halcen was going to have to take care of when they had the opportunity. If they were going to be pirates, they were going to need a decent room specifically for prisoners, not just a Gerry-rigged door to keep random Marines from getting out.

Halcen opened the door and walked in to see the two men he had tied up. The rope was a bit stiff, but it worked well enough to keep them from doing much. The two men sat tied, with nothing but hate in their eyes.

The one with a bit of a dark complexion had brown hair and dark green eyes. He had a hardened face, and a pronounced nose. He was well built, from years of hard work and physical abuse. Halcen could see why he was so strong.

The thinner one had pale yellow skin with short black hair and slitted blue eyes. His face was a bit more shallow than the others. He wasn't as strong physically, but Halcen supposed that was why he was a sniper.

Halcen sat down against the wall opposite the men. He stared them both in the eyes, and they glared back daggers. He could only feel their murderous intent as they made not a sound. _Intense._

"So what I need to know is: where is Reluji going to head now? I mean, now that he failed the mission. Where would he go next? Is there somewhere he has to check in to debrief the mission?"

The taller one spoke up. "Why would we tell you anything?"

"Your Commodore abandoned you for failing to kill me. He said his job was to kill Grey, right? Well he failed to do that. So the way I see it, he's blaming you for the mission failing when he's the one at fault. Seems pretty hypocritical to me. We can get him back, if we can find him. And I need your help for that."

"If we help you take him down, we lose our chance to go back to the Marines."

"Come on, really? How exactly is that going to happen? He's going to brand you as failures or traitors or whatever works for his official story to keep himself in the clear."

"All we have to do is kill you and bring your body in."

"Really? Come on guys, you're not that stupid. How are you going to accomplish that? You couldn't do it when you had the help of a very highly ranked Marine officer. I mean, I know you guys are skilled, but you're in no position to even try anything like that. Plus, if you did, Grey would help me take you down this time. He's not somebody you want to get riled up. The old guy's got the mojo, if you know what I mean."

"So what do you suggest?" The small one asked.

"I just want a little cooperation. I mean, honestly I've got nothing but time. My next step can wait till we get this taken care off. I want to catch this motherfucker before he causes us anymore problems. And then I can drop you guys off somewhere, take you home, whatever. Do you have family?"

The thick one's face twitched.

"You do, don't you? I'm not threatening them, I promise. I know you guys think pirates are evil, scourge of the earth, yada yada. That's all brainwashing. I'm the only one here that's actually willing to help you. I got you off that island didn't I? Just… help me out. I'll take you to your family and then you'll never have to see me again, how about that?"

"If we help you out, and take out Reluji, we get branded as traitors anyway, and our families get targeted."

"Not if they don't know it was you who helped us. Plus, I could help you get your family to safety if that's the case. Your Marine pals will be none the wiser."

"That all sounds nice, but how are we supposed to trust you? You're a pirate. We can't take anything you say at face value."

Halcen shook his head, disappointed. "I'm honestly not the enemy here. I know you guys have got it in your head that I am, but hopefully you'll come to realize that I'm not. I never go out of my way to hurt innocent people. I'm all about freedom, adventure, helping each other out. That's what real pirates are. We just don't like the way the World Government puts restrictions on everything. I believe in the freedom of choices. For that, I'm seen as the enemy. Well, I'm not… I'm just a guy trying to make things better. But you know what? You don't believe me. That's fine. I've got to a ship to run. If you decide you want to help out, let me know." Halcen stood up and left the room, locking the door behind him when he was out.

Halcen went back up to the deck to gather the crew together. They were still hostile, but it was time to get to work. Halcen needed to make a plan, ASAP. To Valentina, he asked "Is there any way we can track this Marine ship, and catch up?"

"If we know what general direction they went, maybe."

Bailu interrupted. "But they've got a head start and a Navy ship. The Black Tail is a nice boat, but it's a lesser vessel when compared to a Navy ship. They'll have all kinds of equipment to keep them ahead of us. We'd never catch up."

"And if we did," Loyola interjected, "we only have two cannons, three fighters, and our ship is less than half their size. We'd be destroyed."

"So what are our options then?" Halcen asked, annoyed. "These guys aren't going to be any help. They're brainwashed Marines."

"I hate to say it," Grey said sadly, "But I think we have to let them go."

"The captives?"

"What? No… Well, yeah, I mean eventually. But I meant the Marine ship. We have no idea where they're going, we can't catch up with them, and we wouldn't win in a fight if we tried. It sounds like we're out of options."

Halcen sighed. "Yeah, I guess so. I don't want to put anyone here in any unnecessary risk for this. So we'll let them go. We just need to make sure we put as much distance between us and that island as possible for when they do come back."

"So where do we head, Captain?" Valentina asked, sounding a smidge spiteful.

Halcen thought for a moment. "We have nothing to gain by pursuing the Marines. We stay our original course. We need to find Shanks. We'll head to Loguetown, as we planned. There, we can stock up and get some info. We'll have to deal with the Marines later."

Grey chimed in. "Are you sure we still want to go to Loguetown? It's a major Marine town. It'll be bad for us to get caught, especially with our new bounties."

"I think we'll be fine as long as we keep our heads down. We can be stealthy. Not everything has to end in cannon-fire. I know we're pirates, but we're also smart. Besides, Loguetown was the last major sighting of Shanks since he became Yonko. That means he's gotta be near. He had to have come from the New World on urgent business. We need to start somewhere; might as well be there."

"So reset course for Loguetown, Captain?" Valentina asked.

"To Loguetown," Halcen confirmed, nodding.

So the rest of the crew set about their duties. Being that Jory had nothing else to do, he went back to his bunk. He was still the angriest of the crew, being that he was so young, he'd done less traveling with pirates in his life. He had a lot of pent up aggression that he didn't know how to get rid of.

Halcen pulled Grey aside. "So, what would a big shot like Shanks want in Loguetown? Any business partners there he might be visiting?"

"Honestly, I can't fathom. Like I said, it's a major Marine town. I can't imagine what kind of business he would have there. I know that's where Roger died. But I don't know that Shanks would really go there just for that."

"Well… you did say Shanks had a special bond with Roger. He was the golden boy of the Roger Pirates, right? Would that be enough? Nostalgia?"

Grey let out a small laugh, then shook his head. "I can't imagine."

And so they returned to their trip, setting out across ocean as the night sky fell. The Black Tail sailed silently into the dark horizon. With the moon coming up and the sun going down, each crew member's anticipation grew. They were on a journey to find the renowned Yonko "Red-Haired" Shanks. He was a legend among many. The hired crew had never met anyone like him. Grey and Halcen had different stories. They were far more used to dealing with big name powers, and not just Yonko either. They lived the pirate life to perfection.

When the morning sun began to rise, the inhabitants of the Black Tail all came back to their consciousness. The crew woke, little by little. Bailu and Loyola began to maintain the ship's ropes and sails, making sure each little thing was in place still. They dragged Jory into it to be extra muscle. Being that he had little to do when they weren't in danger, they thought he might as well learn how to help run the ship. And then there was Valentina, at the helm, making sure they were still on track.

 _The way the wind blows in her hair…_ Halcen had to snap himself back to the moment. He had important things to be doing.

He jumped into action, shouting orders to the rest of the crew, making sure they were doing their jobs right, making sure they still obeyed him as their authority. He needed to keep up his image with them.

And after a few hours, Halcen was back up in his perch, chowing down on another bar of chocolate. He'd already eaten most of his supply. He knew they needed to reach Loguetown soon or he'd begin going through sugar withdrawals. Since he had quit drinking, he needed something to take the edge off.

Over the horizon, way off in the distance, he spotted another ship from up from the north. He could tell it was quite a bit larger than the Black Tail. But it didn't seem to be a Marine ship. It had standard white sails… and a black flag.

 _Pirates._ Halcen shot up from his seat, almost falling out of the crow's nest. He nearly died trying to climb down the ladder fast enough to get to the deck. "Pirates!" He shouted. "Off to the north! Coming our way!"

Grey, Jory, and Loyola rushed to meet him in the middle of the deck, with Bailu trailing behind. He was an old man after all. But the good thing about old men is they have experience.

Halcen was unsure how to act. Valentina was up at the helm waiting for orders. Grey stood, waiting for Halcen to make a move. He took a moment, almost freezing. Then Halcen looked to Grey, and they held eye contact for a moment. Halcen could feel Grey's confidence in him. So he took a deep breath.

"Alright, so we don't know if they're friendly or not. But pirates are pirates. We need to be prepared in case they do turn hostile. We need to ready the cannons, get yourselves some rifles, and take an inventory of anything we can use to fight. We might need to get dirty."

Bailu broke in. "This ship is damn near brand new. It's never been tested in combat. We only have two damned cannons!"

"This is as good a time as any to test it. We don't have a choice."

"Just be careful with the damn thing!"

Halcen rolled his eyes, the nodded. "Valentina!"

"Yes, Captain?"

"Is there anywhere nearby we can go to lose them? We're smaller ship so we'll fit in places they can't. But they'll likely have speed over us!"

Valentina looked about for a while. There was nothing. No islands, no other ships. They were out of luck. "I do see a reef. We could get in there and it should hold them back. It doesn't look very wide, maybe a few hundred feet across. But we can't know how high the reef is going to be, nor how low their ship is!"

"We might as well take the chance. See if you can get us in there!"

"Aye, Captain!"

 _That 'a girl._

Slowly but surely the other ship came closer. By then, Valentina had positioned their merry little band in the shallower depths where a coral reef was all but protruding the water's surface. She was good, Halcen had to admit.

 _It's tremendous,_ Halcen thought, nearly trembling, as he watched the other ship coming toward them.

The other ship was indeed much larger than theirs. It had a much darker brown finish to the majority of the body. It had three gigantic masts. At the very top of the middle mast was a very eerie black flag. It had a skull-and-crossbones with a hazmat symbol over its face and squiggly lines coming up off of it. Halcen was unsure how to interpret it. There were a lot of reasons that these guys might have a symbol like that. _Are they radioactive?_

The ship began to circle the reef. And up on the deck came a man staring deadly towards their little ship. He was a bit short, but very surly looking. He was seemed to be a bit on the heavier side. He had a thick dark brown beard that stuck out like an ornament on his face. He had skin that was a reddish color that seemed like it as from a rash. He smiled grimely at Halcen. Behind him, a sea of crew members. This was a full pirate crew; at least thirty. Each one of them had a breathing apparatus on over their faces though. Halcen couldn't tell why. They continued to make their way around the sparse of coral. They couldn't get any closer without it tearing into their ship.

 _At least we have that going for us. But we can't just sit here. We need to take action. They can outwait us. They probably have more firepower than us too. We gotta do something._

"Greetings fellow trav'lers," the captain called in a very old gruff piratey voice. "I be yer morning entertainment! Me name be Capt'n Anosmia! And this be me crew. We're here for yer booty!"

"On a first date?" Halcen called. "That's pretty desperate!"

"Alright, ye little twerp! Hand over all yer riches or I'll unleash me power on ya!"

Then Halcen noticed something. It was faint at first, but it grew little by little. It was a rank smell, like none he had ever had the unpleasantness to be run afoul by. "What the hell is that?!"

"Aye! Did'ja finally get a whiff?" Anosmia shouted, then began to laugh deeply and with great enthusiasm. His crew followed suit. Each of the grotesque characters aboard his ship each came cackled with their captain. Then Anosmia continued. "That be the power of me Devil Fruit! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

 _What kind of sick Devil Fruit is that? And why tell us… unless he thinks there's nothing we can do about it._ "Oh big deal! You smell bad. Is that supposed to scare us?"

"Not at all! It just be a warning to what I really be capable of! Now bring me all yer treasure or I'll sink that puny thing ye call a ship."

"Robbing other pirates? That's pretty low, don't you think?"

"Pirates? What er you babblin' on about, boy? There ain't no flag on yer ship! Ye can't just call yerself a pirate and it be so! To me yer fair game!"

Halcen stared in rage. "Grey?" he said quietly.

"Yes, Halcen," Grey asked, standing right next to him.

"I've got a plan."

"Good."

Halcen raised both his arms into the air. "Alright, Captain Anosmia! I'll get you everything we have! Just, please don't hurt my crew!"

"That be better!" Anosmia laughed snarkily.

Halcen turned his back to the other ship, saying quietly to his crew. "Wait for my signal."

Grey nodded. The others followed suit, but their eyes were terrified. This was full on pirate warfare. They had no choice but to trust their captain.

Halcen walked across the deck, and headed down inside the ship, leaving the others upstairs and alone with the maniacal pirate scourge. He knew he had to work fast, or risk Anosmia catching on. _We have no treasure, but what we do have…_ And finally he came to the room. He unbolted it from the outside and opened the door. There sat the two men that had only just tried to take his own life the day before. _Marines,_ Halcen thought with such distaste.

"Listen up!" he shouted, as he stepped inside.

They perked up, and stared more hate into his eyes. These were some pent up murderers.

"We have been taken off guard by another pirate ship. They want everything on board that's valuable."

One of them laughed. "So you're gonna trade us to save your own skin? Pathetic."

"That would the easiest way to resolve this conflict… but no. You two are mine. Now shut up and listen. They're threatening to sink the ship if I don't fork over everything we have. And since we don't actually have anything of value, besides ourselves… we have to fight. And since you're on this ship, I figure I'd give you a chance to defend it."

"So you want us to help you fight off some pirates?" The other mocked.

"Yes. Consider it a… token of good faith." Halcen went to them each and cut the ropes that were binding them.

They shared glances at each other and then stood up, rubbing their own selves in the places that ached. Being tied up overnight really has an effect on the body. They could feet the rope burns.

The smaller one looked directly into Halcen's eyes. "You're serious?"

Halcen nodded. "I may be a pirate. But I don't want to see any of my crew get hurt. That was never my intention. Nor do I need the deaths of you two on my conscience. Are you gonna help me or not?"

"Do you have a plan?" the tan one asked.

Halcen chuckled.

The three of them stalked back up to the deck, staying inside the alcove that covered them from the sight of the other ship. It stalled in place on the outside of the reef, surely preparing for Halcen's return with their treasure.

Halcen came out of the cover alone. "Anosmia!" he shouted, getting their attention.

"Aye! Ye returned with me goods, did ye? Good man! I was beginning to get nervous!"

Bailu whispered under his breath, "Me too."

"I brought you everything we've picked up!"

And then the sound of cracking rang across the deck of the Black Tail.

A hole appeared through Anosmia's forehead and his entire crew shouted out in alarm. Anosmia's body fell to a lump on the ground with a thud.

"That's what you get for trying to rob a pirate, you scum!" Halcen shouted foully.

Grey smiled. _Now we only have to take out the crew._

"Now that your captain is dead-" Halcen began.

But was cut off by the sounds of his crew laughing.

 _That isn't good._

And the voice of the pirate Anosmia began to chuckle heartily as well. His body throbbed on the ground like a heart, still pumping.

"What the-"

"Think ye can kill me that easily, do ya?" Then he stood back up as the hole in his head sealed with what appeared to be a nasty green liquid of some sort, and then the color of his skin reappeared. Anosmia smiled brightly. "Well guess again!" And he began to laugh hysterically.

 _Fuck._ Halcen immediately realized his error.

"Ye see boy, that Devil Fruit I mentioned was one of them logia types."

 _That would be my luck._

"But if ye want a fight so bad, fine! I'll take yer treasure off your dead bodies! AHAHAHAHAHAHA! Boys! Ready the chains!"

And his crew began to rattle with excitement. Down below, two ports opened up on the portside of the ship, facing the Black Tail. What was on the other side of the holes looked like cannons.

Halcen gulped. _Shit._

"Fire!"

But instead of cannonballs decimating their ship, ripping them apart, and sending them to their watery grave; two metal spears shot out with chains connecting from their guns. They tore through the side of the ship, splintering the wood and rocking them all mightily. The spears then opened up at the heads and latched into the ship, creating a stable hold. The Black Tail was caught in the Anosmia pirates' web.

The crew of the larger ship began to reel in the chains, pulling tight on the Black Tail and forcing it to drag over the water towards the edge of the reef. They couldn't just sail across it to meet them, so they brought their enemy closer instead. These were some well-equipped pirates. Halcen made sure to remember that.

 _If they've got this kind of equipment, I can only imagine how strong they are. Well… better they want a fight than to just kill us all and sink the ship. If we can fight them off, we'll be fine._ Halcen needed to put a plan into place ASAP.

"Grey!"

Grey looked to his captain, then nodded.

"You and I are gonna cross once we get close enough. I'll take on Anosmia. I need you to go down below deck and take care of those chains! No bullshit this time!"

Grey nodded, but his face twitched.

Halcen turned to the rest of the crew that was out in the open. "Bailu, Loyola, Valentina. You guys need to get down below deck and keep safe. They won't be using cannons at this close a range. Jory, it's your job to protect them, got it?"

"Yes, Captain!" He drew his sword. It was a pretty standard one-and-a-half-handed double-edged steel sword. Jory hurried the others away to keep them out of the next events.

"Snipers!"

The two men came out from their hiding position, each holding their rifles, pistol, and accessories. Halcen had made sure to get them fully equipped for their part.

"You need to provide cover fire." He pointed to the small one. "You, make sure as few of them cross this gap as possible." Then he pointed to the tan one. "You make sure Grey gets through without too much hassle. He's gonna detach the chains. In the meantime, I'm gonna take on the captain. I'll have my hands full, so I won't be able to do much else. Got it?"

The both nodded.

"Alright, get ready!"

The two raced off to find their positions. Halcen watched the bulkier sniper start climbing the rope to get to the crow's nest, and the other headed to the upper deck on the bow side.

Halcen turned and bounded toward the edge of the ship, where Grey stood patiently, stretching. "You ready?"

"Absolutely."

"Good." Halcen took a deep breath. Haki drove up his body, giving him a nice black coating. "Me too."

Slowly, they got closer. Halcen began to realize why Anosmia's pirates were all wearing gas masks; the stench began to become unbearable. _What is his logia made out of?_ He looked at Grey who was having a really hard time keeping his composure.

"This shit stinks," Grey admitted, rubbing his face.

And after a bit of time, the gap closed. Halcen watched two burly men from the opponent's crew carry large wooden planks up to the edge of their ship. And this was when the action started.

 _BANG! BANG!_

Two guns went off, blowing holes in the heads of the men who were carrying the planks.

 _Good job, guys._

Halcen and Grey took advantage of the confusion. While their crew was getting riled, Halcen and Grey jumped over the gap, only about ten feet at this point, and they landed on the dead bodies of the other men. They began to knuckle their way through the crowd, each beating down any of the crew that came at them. Halcen was heading for Anosmia and Grey was heading for the door to the underdeck. And with him, came the shots of thundering fire from the top of the Black Tail. Sniper support coming from the crow's nest, just as requested.

Halcen was bogged down by a few of Anosmia's crew. They were strong and sturdy, but none of them were a match for Halcen's Haki-powered punches. He bashed into them like a bowling ball, throwing punch after punch. Some of his foes took several blows, but Halcen refused to stop moving forward, and eventually they fell too.

Halcen waved through the crowd, trying to take out as many as he could, but there was a were so many. He turned to see a gangplank had been successfully put up, and now the pirates were crossing over to the Black Tail. The sniper support was keeping some of them down, but they were still going to pile over to the Black Tail. _I have to take Anosmia down now!_ If he could beat their captain, he'd be able to provide support for the rest of the crew. Halcen returned to his swinging and waded through the crowd to the man he was after. _This stinking son of a bitch._ Halcen had to cover his face with the collar of his shit to try to keep the stink out. He was basically gasping for air under it.

Anosmia's face was beat red but he was smiling under that beard. "Ho! Ho! Ho! Come to fight me at last, have ye? While yar busy here, me crew will be taking care o' yer ship. They gonna tear it o'part fer treasure and then they gonna burn it down, and let the ashes fade in the sea!" Then he began to laugh outrageously again.

"Oh shut up, already!" Halcen shouted.

"Come on then, little boy! Ye think ye can play with the big boys? Ye think ye can just jump on a ship and it makes ye a pirate? I been at this fer years! You ain't got no roger and damn near no crew! You ain't no pirate!"

"Not a pirate? I practically grew up on Whitebeard's personal ship!"

Then Anosmia's face tightened as he caught himself from laughing… and then he did laugh, outlandishly. "That's the funniest damn thing I ever heard! YEE? On Whitebeard's crew? What would the greatest pirate alive do wit' a runt like ye?"

And then Halcen had had enough. He took a deep breath, drew his knife, and plunged it into Anosmia's stomach. It spurted out a gnarly-looking green liquid that sprayed Halcen's pants.

Anosmia stared into Halcen's eyes and laughed again. "I told ye, mate. I be a logia! Ya can't hurt me! AHARHARHARHAHARHAR!"

"What kind of nasty shit is that?" Halcen's stomach violently surged from the stench. He could feel the liquid on him almost as if it were acid.

"It be sewage, mate."

Halcen looked at Anosmia with a look of terror. "So I'm fighting a walking talking ball of shit?"

"Among other things. Hence me crew be covered with them fancy masks. Keeps them from breathing in the fumes."

"You sick fuck!" Halcen pulled his dagger out and tried to clean it off before putting it back away.

But Anosmia wasn't going to wait around to let him prepare. A giant sludge fist came up at him, and a heavy stream smashed Halcen in the face, lifting him off the ground, and throwing him across the deck of the ship. He landed harshly on the body of one of Anosmia's dead pirates, losing his hold on his knife. There was blood everywhere. Halcen looked around quick to realize there were quite a few. They almost all had holes in their heads. _Guess that's why snipers are useful._

Halcen stood back up quickly to see the sewage man flowing over the dead bodies towards him. He was still fully coated in Haki. But he was beginning to choke on the fumes. He could feel the nastiness covering him. But he had to focus. This wasn't the time to get distracted. _I have to beat this guy._

Halcen jumped out of the way as multiple sludge balls were thrown his way. They smashed into the side rails with loud smacks. Halcen could only imagine the force of them would hurt. But as he rolled to the side, Anosmia was there, and swung his left leg into Halcen's face, tossing the man across the deck. He rolled again and finally regained his footing.

He stood back up in time to block an oncoming punch from Anosmia. He threw up his black-coated arms and sludge went flying around him. _This guy doesn't give up!_ Halcen brought his left arm down to throw a jab into the the captain's face. He took the punch with a grimace. Halcen's Haki was doing damage… _but not enough._

Anosmia followed up by throwing his own right across Halcen's face.

Halcen staggered back, but stayed on his feet. He was getting used to the guy's hits. _He's really not that strong physically. It's just his devil fruit that pushes me back the most. If he didn't have that, this guy would already be dead._ And that was the problem with logias… they damn near couldn't die.

And then overwhelming sound of metal clanging rang throughout the area. Halcen knew it was Grey, finally getting those chains disconnected. They felt the boat rock as the weight literally dropped off their ship. And suddenly they didn't have anything to connect them to this nasty pirate's ship anymore. _I gotta end this quick and get over the gap before we get too far away._

Halcen realized his punches weren't doing enough damage. So he drew back both of his arms quickly and put his two fists close to each other. _I need to do as much damage as fast as I can._ Then he threw all of his strength into a double-fisted punch, smashing into Anosmia's torso.

The man made an inhuman noise, like a wounded wild cat out in the jungle. His eyes almost went white. Almost. He fell to one knee in pain, and huffed loudly. "Ye pack quite the punch there." And then he stood back up. "But it's not quite enough… harharhar!"

Halcen was running out of breath faster than he wanted to. _Damn, these fumes are really getting to me._ He stood up straight, trying to make sure he was ready for the next attack. But then it dawned on him. _Fumes… gas! I can light this motherfucker up!_

Halcen stood up straight, still coated in Haki. He reached out his left arm straight to its full extent. Then with his right arm, he crossed over the top of his left as fast as he possibly could, causing sparks to be launched from it, and they flew across to Anosmia's bloated body… and he caught.

"Oh, shit!"

Anosmia's gas-exuding body erupted in an exploding fire that caught everything around it too. The heat flared against Halcen's body and he could feel the sudden temperature rise, but knew he was safe from any actual damage. The burst was so powerful that it lifted Halcen over the rail of the deck and into the water between Anosmia's ship and the Black Tail.

The cool water suddenly meeting his body after the heated explosion felt invigorating. He lay there for a little while, staring up at the divide between the two ships and the sky beyond it. He could feel himself slowly relaxing. Up above, he watched Jory throw over a roll-up rope ladder for Halcen to climb up. _I guess I can't just sit here._

Halcen climbed back up the ladder to the deck of his ship and took a quick damage report. There were about twelve dead pirates lying around their deck and none left alive. He checked across the way where the fire was burning to see that there were no standing survivors on the other ship that they could see. That was good. It meant nobody was going to pursue them. "Is everyone okay?" Halcen asked his crew.

Grey, Valentina, Bailu, and the two snipers were all relatively unharmed. The short sniper and Grey had a few minor scrapes; they'd be fine. But Jory and Loyola had been injured. Jory's entire body had taken a pretty decent beating. And Loyola had a fairly nasty cut across her right leg.

"Holy shit, are you guys okay? What happened?" Halcen demanded.

"I was trying to help Jory protect the others!" she professed.

Halcen looked to Jory. He had taken it worse than anybody else on the crew.

"I was overwhelmed," Jory admitted. "They came down in numbers I couldn't beat alone. I'm sorry."

Halcen looked at him with pride. "Jory, you did good."

Jory looked up, almost confused. "Excuse me?"

"You took on multiple enemies while ensuring the safety of your crew. No one died because of you. You put yourself in danger to ensure they were okay."

Jory just nodded gratefully.

"And Loyola?" Halcen said, looking to the strong woman.

"Yes, Captain?"

"That was a very brave thing. You're not a soldier, and you stepped up to help your crew. I'm impressed. But don't do it again. You're an essential member of this crew, and you being seriously hurt will hinder us from being able to do what needs to be done. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Captain," she said, smiling.

"Alright, everybody, we need to move, now! We don't want to be around this scene in case somebody can see the fire."

And like that, the Black Tail set sail again, with a burning pile of wood left behind to the will of the sea.


	6. Bear Island

**AN: I finished this chapter in three days lol. But I decided not to post it until the week had passed. I'm in works on the next chapter already. This is gonna be a good arc, I think. Hope you guys enjoy it too!**

 **Still waiting on that letter from my lawyer telling me I inherited Oda's work. XD**

* * *

Bear Island

There was so much to do and Halcen had little ability to do it all at once.

Jory and Loyola needed medical attention. Since there was no actual doctor aboard, they needed to perform some first aid themselves. Luckily, Halcen, Grey, and Valentina were all perfectly qualified to perform these tasks. Being that Halcen had not had the chance to clean himself up yet, he asked that Grey take care of it while Valentina took care of getting them moving. Loyola had a pretty severe cut across her right leg, so she was going to be off her feet for a few days. And since Jory was very badly banged up all over, he was going to need almost a week before he was ready to anything. Halcen realized that without an actual doctor, treatment was going to be very basic. _We're going to need a real doctor soon if we're going to be pirates._

Next, he, Grey, and the Marines had to clean up the mess of from all the dead bodies lying around the ship. Jory had killed a couple down below deck so it wasn't going to be as easy as spraying it off with sea water. They had to actually scrub the blood away. The bodies were quite hellish to actually get off the deck themselves. Halcen didn't want to toss them all overboard one by one for fear of somebody tracking them, so they had to make it all happen in one go. They finally managed to tie them all together in a giant ball of gore, and dumped it into the ocean over the edge of the Black Tail. It was one of the more disturbing things they would have to deal with.

Finally, Halcen desperately needed a shower. He was in a bad way. He had fought Anosmia, the sewage logia captain of the Anosmic Pirates. The raw spew had gotten the all over him, his clothes included. Knowing full well he wouldn't be able to get them clean, Halcen tossed his clothes overboard as well. But he himself was finally able to clean off with laborious scrubbing. _At least that bastard is dead,_ was all he could think to himself, over and over. Finally, the smell subsided, and Halcen was sure that he was ready to move on with the rest of the day.

He went back up to the deck in his fresh clothes to get an in-depth damage report. "So how are we doing?" he asked Bailu.

The elderly man was ready with some not so great news. "Well, good news!"

"What's that?"

"I was right about you."

"Oh?" Halcen felt a little flattered. "How so?"

"You're nothing but trouble," Bailu stated flatly.

"Oh," Halcen's face flattened.

"When Pad told me I'd be working for a pirate Max owed, I knew this was gonna be bad. And I was right. We've only been out from port a little more than a week and you've already gotten us into trouble, and the ship is screwed."

"How bad?"

"There are the two giant holes in the starboard side of the ship."

"Are we gonna be okay?"

"Oh, yeah, sure," he answered sarcastically, "you know, unless a storm hits. In that case, we might sink. The damn thing's gonna blow open if any excess pressure get put on it, then we're gonna fill with water and run aground. "

Halcen gulped. "So we need to find somewhere to anchor where you can work on the ship?"

"And fast too!" Valentina shouted from the helm. "Look up ahead!"

Halcen turned to look at the sky they were heading toward. The clouds were thickening and grey. Halcen knew this was bad news. They had just been in a fight that damaged their ship, and right off the bat there was another problem. _Just one thing after another._ "Alright… Valentina! Are there any islands near that we can anchor in? We need to get this patched up right away!"

"There's one a ways off. It's not on the map, but it should be enough for us to at least settle until the storm passes. It'll be tough finding a landing spot since we don't know if it even has a port. Plus, the storm's coming from the same direction, so we're gonna get caught at least a little in it!"

"That's fine. Just find us a way through it! We can't be out here susceptible to the elements."

And so Halcen and Grey helped Valentina run the ship through the storm. Since Jory and Loyola were injured, the two had to fill in for them. And the storm picked up quickly. After only a half hour, the waves were pushing the Black Tail all about. But they had to continue on to the island anyway. The lightning flashed and thunder cackled. This storm wasn't horrible, but it was enough to worry Halcen about the amount of water they were taking on.

Thankfully, after about an hour, they had made it to the island. It was relatively large for an island that wasn't on the map. Most of it seemed to be forestry and hills though. Valentina eventually found them a nice place to anchor the ship only a hundred feet off the shore. The storm could do all the howling it wanted to at that point. They were too close to shore to take the damage seriously. Halcen and the crew batted down for the night until the storm finally subsided.

When the sun finally came up, it was covered by still cloudy skies. The whipping winds and pouring rain had finally died, but the clouds were still there, throwing grey over the whole day. The crew of the Chaos Pirates awoke from their slumbers to take a report of their new situation.

Bailu went over the ship, cussing and shouting. The ship had taken on some extra water and the holes had been opened a bit more than they already were. Sailing on open water was now out of the question.

Grey and Valentina went ashore to take a look around the island. They were gone for the most of the morning, but eventually came back to report. The forest went on for a quite a while, but there was a small town on the far side of the island. They had been able to spot it from a ridge. It looked to have a small port, but it didn't look like it was equipped to handle large ships. "We might be able to squeeze in there though."

While everyone else was busy, Halcen went to talk to the Marine snipers. They had gone back to their room that Halcen had used as a temporary brig. But it hadn't been locked and they were no longer bound in rope like hostages. They were just sitting there, waiting.

"Guys," Halcen said, nodding as he walked in.

They were sitting, waiting for something. Maybe this. The darker-skinned one looked to Halcen. "Halcen." He nodded back.

"Can we help you?" The other asked, a bit jagged.

"I wanted to say thank you. You guys really saved our asses."

"We didn't have much of a choice."

"I guess maybe not, but still… You did us a service. You didn't let any of my crew die. I appreciate that."

The dark one nodded.

"Have you had any time to think about my offer?"

"We did," the short one responded. "We can't help you find Reluji for many reasons, the most prominent is that we don't know where he is."

"You don't? Seriously?"

"Only the officers are given the important information. What they choose to share with us is up to them. We're only Chief Petty Officers. Means we're not actual officers."

"So you two have no information you can help me with?"

"No. But we also wouldn't if we did. We still want to figure out a way back into the Navy."

"Really? After all that?"

"Yeah. It's where we belong. But we were hoping you would help us."

"Help you?"

"Well… at least take us to Loguetown with you. There, we can hop off and find someone to talk to. Reluji will probably have already besmirched our names, but the way we figure it, we'll be able to deal with whatever punishment they throw our way. It'll be easier on our families if we do."

"So you just want to ride with us to Loguetown?"

"And then we'll separate. At least… as long as we're not still prisoners."

"No… you guys paid your debt. You can go about the ship, and whatever else you want to do. When we do get to Loguetown, you guys can head out. And I'll say thank you once more when we get there. I will ask that you help out around the ship now though, seeing as how Loyola and Jory are in recovery."

"That we can do."

"I'm also gonna need your names."

And for the first time, the snipers realized they hadn't given their names at any point; an attempt to keep their families and friends safe. But they were beginning to trust Halcen.

The dark skinned one looked to Halcen. "I'm Bosopp." He extended his hand to Halcen.

Halcen shook the Marine's hand gratefully. "Bosopp? That's interesting."

"It's a family thing," he said, almost a little embarrassed. He shook his head. "Just call me Bo."

"Sounds good."

"And I'm Kazuki," said the other Marine, holding his hand out.

Halcen grabbed it too, and shook. "It's nice to officially meet you two."

They agreed.

"So… is there anything you guys need?"

"I think we'll be fine," Kazuki answered.

"Can we use the bunks instead of staying in here? There's no bedding," Bo asked.

"Yeah, go for it." Halcen shrugged, as if that would have been a problem. "Alright, well if that's all, then I'm gonna head back up. We need to figure out our next move."

Halcen headed back up to the deck, with Kazuki and Bo following. They had business to get sorted. "So there's a town around the other side of the island?"

"That's right," Grey answered.

"Alright, let's get over there. We need to get this ship taken care of."

So they pulled up the anchor, raised the sails, and began their slow crawl across the water around the island. It wasn't far to the other side, but Halcen was still worried about the Black Tail being on the water at all, no matter how shallow it was. _A life on the ocean takes a lot of chances. And often, we're not treated fairly._

When finally they made it around to the far side of the island, they had to navigate through a narrow inlet to get to the docks. This place was not at all welcoming to larger ships. The inlet was barely large enough for the Black Tail to make it through, but Valentina was very good at her job. Halcen was again thankful for her.

Halcen set his eyes upon the village on the island, carved into the hillside. He was surprised they picked such a difficult to manage place to build their town, but the placing did make sense defensively. It was the easiest place in the island to defend. _It must have been a bitch to put up though._

Halcen could feel the stagnation of the island as they pulled closer to the docks. The air got harsher… colder… irritating. There was something there, but Halcen couldn't figure out what. He had to dismiss it. They didn't have a choice but to continue.

It was true that their port wasn't meant for larger ships; the water was rather shallow. For this, and not much else, they were happy that the Black Tail was as small as it was. They were able to successfully pull up to the dock.

Kazuki jumped off immediately and roped the ship to the dock, Bo dropped the anchor, and the others all got busy getting their things together. Halcen departed from the Black Tail to go looking for anybody he could talk to about the island, trying to get a feel for their new environment. He ambled over the wooden dock walkway.

After a few moments, he found an older man in his forties, a bit pudgy with little hair left on his head. He was sitting alone on a bench; the only lifeform on the dock besides Halcen's crew. It drew and eerie picture with the morning fog rolling around. "Hello, sir," Halcen said.

"Well, look what we have here," the old man said, looking Halcen up and down. "Didn't expect any visitors today."

"Yeah, we weren't planning on making a stop here either. We're actually on our way to Loguetown, but-"

"Well then you better get on to Loguetown," the man said, almost apathetic.

Halcen's face twitched, infuriated. _This fat old balding bastard is gonna get my foot up his ass._ Then he took a deep breath. "We can't sail right now. Our ship is in disrepair. We needed to make an emergency pit stop to get it fixed."

"And you thought this would be the best place to do it?"

"It was the only island near at the time. That storm almost sank us."

"That would have been a better fate for you."

"Excuse me?"

"Listen kid," he said, cutting the crap. "We don't get many visitors here, for good reason. Most people just sail on by."

"And why's that?"

"This island, Bear Island, is cursed by the Bear God."

"Bear God?" Halcen asked in disbelief. "That's the stupidest fucking thing I've ever heard."

"Yeah, I'd watch what you say about that around here. Some people take it pretty seriously."

"What about you?"

"Honestly? I haven't seen anything like it. I don't buy it. But this is my home, so I'm not just gonna run away. But I suggest you do. And take that pretty little thing with you." He motioned to Valentina.

"Is that supposed to be a threat?"

"No. It's a warning. This isn't a vacation spot."

"Well we're not on vacation. Once we get our ship up and running, we'll get out of here."

The man shrugged. "Suit yourself," he said, a bit saddened.

"We need supplies. Are there any shops around we can check out or a mill we can get wood from?"

"Oh, there's plenty here. Just don't be surprised if they don't want to sell to you. The folks here aren't real welcoming."

"Tell me about it," Halcen almost spat.

"You think I'm bad? HA! If you stick around, you'll see how bad it really gets."

"Alright, yeah. Thanks for the help." Halcen shook his head and turned back to the crew and headed their way. They had all gathered on the outside of the ship.

"So what's the jury?" Grey asked.

"This place is fucking weird," Halcen answered.

Rey chuckled.

"So what do you want to do?" Grey asked.

"Well, we kinda don't have a choice. We have to stay here and fix the ship. Bailu, how long is it gonna take?"

"At least a few days. It'd be a bit faster is Loyola was better. But she's gonna need a few days herself."

"Will extra hands help or do we have to have experience?"

"I could use extra hands, so long as they listen to exactly what I tell them."

"Alright, Bo, Kazuki. Can you guys help Bailu with this? Grey and I are gonna head into the town to see if we can find a place to get some supplies."

"Oh!" Valentina exclaimed. "I'll come with you!" She stepped up and off the ship. He long pink hair waved and her body bounced as she landed on the wood.

"Uhm… maybe you should stay here," Halcen suggested, gulping hard.

"I've been stuck on this ship for over a week. I want to stretch my legs."

"But we don't know anything about this town. It might not be safe."

"That's why I'll be with you. You'll protect me, right?" she asked, smiling.

Halcen coughed hard. He felt his body get hot and hit heart throb. "Yeah. I'll uhh… sure." He looked around to the others, Grey snickering. "Alright, let's go." He turned to hide his embarrassment and stormed off. "If you're coming, hurry up!"

And so the three set off toward the town, leaving the others to fend for themselves. Halcen was content leaving the others without his protection. Jory might have been out of the fight, but Bo and Kazuki were there, and there were seasoned vets. They would take care of anything that might come their way. Grey and Halcen may have been the stronger fighters, but he had fought the Marines, and they were quite capable. Jory, Bailu, and Loyola were safe.

Halcen, Grey, and Valentina wandered off the wooden dock and stepped into the town. From where they were standing, it looked like a ghost town. Not only were the dark luminous grey clouds hanging overhead, cutting out the daylight, but the town itself made not a peep. The dark stone walkways were torn up with weeds sticking out from them. The wooden buildings seemed old and rickety. The town hadn't been taken care of. It was quite a sad sight. Each level up seemed to be a little nicer though. They appeared to be relatively better kept, not larger or grander. Maybe it was because nobody actually lived down on the bottom streets to take care of it. So they continued up.

Eventually Halcen could feel small presences nearby. He figured they had finally gotten close enough to the center of town that people actually did business there. They strolled past the rotten buildings and finally found one Halcen thought might actually sell something. It had a sign on the top that read "Beandra's Wares." He pulled Grey and Valentina into the store, eager to get their stuff and leave.

Inside was a woman in her thirties with somewhat chubby cheeks, and long brown hair. The rest of her seemed fairly attractive, but her eyes screamed out like she was lost in a mix of confusion and boredom. There was nothing there, even for the inhabitants of this ratty ass town. Halcen could tell by the old man that just sat at the dock all day. The inside of the store was made up like any general goods store might. Halcen started rummaging through in order to find anything that they might be able to use for their repairs.

He grabbed a large black piece of canvas and some permanent paints that caught his eye.

"What are those for?" Grey asked, low.

"Well, there was one thing Anosmia was right about. We're not really a pirate crew without a flag. I figure we can make one." Halcen answered, also trying to keep his voice down. If anybody realized they were pirates, it might start trouble.

"Not a bad idea, but is this really a priority?"

"No, but we might as well do it when we have the chance."

"Fair enough."

"Halcen! Look!" Valentina squealed.

Halcen turned in shock. "What happened?" he jumped into a protective fear.

"LOOK AT THIS LITTLE CERAMIC PENGUIN! ISN'T IT SO CUTE?!"

Halcen's face went flat. "Are you kidding me? I thought something was wrong."

Valentina put on a pouty face with her gorgeous eyes and thick lips. "But Haaaaaaalceeeeeen," she whined, putting the thing up to her face. "Loooooook!"

"Alright, you can get it… just calm down."

"YAAAYY!" She beamed.

Halcen took the penguin from her, and the cloth and paint he had picked out to the woman at the counter. "Do you guys have a lumber place nearby? We need to fix up our ship."

The woman looked infinitely annoyed by the people in her shop; that someone would even talk to her was insulting. "We have a mill. But I don't think they're gonna sell to you."

"Are you?" Halcen asked, looking down at his items.

She huffed. "Might as well." She began to ring him up. He handed her some beri, grabbed the bag that she had put this stuff in.

"Oh! Do you guys have a blacksmith, weaponsmith, or anything like that? I lost my knife and I need a new one."

"No, we don't make weapons here," she nearly spat.

"What about a candy store? Or a bakery? Anything sweet?"

"We have a bakery, but it's just bread."

"Right…" _Of course, nothing good can survive in a place like this._ "Well, thanks." And then the three of them left the store.

Valentina rubbed her ceramic gift all over her face like a little kid with a new toy. "Thank you, Halcey!" she exclaimed. She kissed his cheek quick then ran off with her new favorite thing.

Halcen froze.

Grey began to laugh hysterically. "Well, then… Halcey… shall we?"

"Shut up, Grey."

"Whatever you say…"

And then they returned to their walk about the town. Eventually, they came to the outskirts where the wood mill was set up. It was a pretty big place. There was an entire factory sitting in the back. Up front, they had a small building just for customers to place orders. There were a few chairs they had set for people who were waiting. Valentina immediately went to sit down, playing with her penguin.

"I thought you wanted to stretch your legs," Halcen jabbed.

"Yeah, well I got tired of your stench," Valentina joked back. "I thought you took a shower."

Halcen pulled the collar of his shirt over his nose to check. "Hey! I did shower, lady!"

Grey sat back and chuckled, shaking his head. _These kids._

"Well, maybe it's just you," Valentina stuck out her tongue at Halcen.

"Yeah well maybe you…"

She sat, waiting. "Me… what?"

Halcen sighed. "I got nothing."

"That's what I thought," she celebrated. Then returned her attention to her penguin. "That's right. We taught that mean old Hacey, didn't we?"

Halcen turned back to the counter, shaking his head.

Finally, there was somebody there. Another person in their thirties. He was a bit taller than Halcen with dark skin and a bald head. "Can I help you?" he asked apathetically. But it sounded like he had been waiting there for decades, and they had just now showed up.

"Yeah… uhm… we need wood… for our ship."

"You're the ones at the dock?"

Halcen nodded. "That'd be us."

"You've got a problem with your ship? Can't just turn around and leave?"

"No, man. Why is everyone of you guys so rude here? Jeez. Our ship is damaged and we literally can't sail with it the way it is. We need to seal it back up before we can go anywhere."

"How much wood do you need?"

"You're actually gonna help us?" Halcen was surprised.

"Anything to get you guys out of here. How long is it gonna take you guys to patch up?"

"A couple days, if we can get some wood."

"Alright, I can have the shipment sent down to the docks by this afternoon."

"Thank you, so much," Halcen sounded legitimately relieved. Halcen put in the order for all the supplies they'd need, paid the man, and then the three of them turned out the door, and headed back through town. It was time to get back to the ship. Halcen and Grey strode in the front while Valentina lagged behind, distracted by the penguin Halcen had bought her. She was floating on air.

They could hear her giggling. "Super penguin!"

"I'm glad that's finally over," Halcen sighed. "I don't want to spend any more time on this godforsaken island than we need to."

"I know what you mean. This place has a weird feeling," Grey said.

"You feel it too?"

"Yeah… it's off. There's too much negative energy here."

"Yeah… I don't know what's causing it, but everyone here is responding to it really badly. I mean, I'm sure they've been here for their whole lives, but I don't want to stay any longer than we have to. I mean, I don't want anybody on the crew affected. We just gotta get the Black Tail up and running, and then we can head straight for Loguetown."

"Speaking of," Grey began. "Are you sure you want to let the guys off at Loguetown?"

"The crew? Yeah, they don't have bounties. They should be fine looking around. Probably not a good idea to give Valentina too much cash now that I know she's an impulse buyer; something to look out for in the future," he laughed. "I just didn't want them coming out here cause we don't know jack about this place. I mean, hell, it's not even on the map. How fucked is that?"

"No, I meant the Marines. Bo and Kazuki."

"Oh! Yeah… I mean, why not?"

"Well, they're Marines, Halcen. They were sent to kill us. They were working with a Commodore. Are you sure you can trust them?"

"I don't see why not. They were sent to kill us, yeah. But they were left for dead. I know you didn't want that on your conscience either. They helped us fight Anosmia, and thanks to them, nobody died. So the way I see it, we're even."

"But bringing them straight to the Marine capitol of the East Blue? Is that really smart? They could gather the forces at Loguetown and come after us."

"No, I think they're really earnest about just wanting to get back. I mean, they're gonna catch hell… but that's what they want."

"Do you think they're even gonna be allowed back in?"

"I don't know. That's really not up to me. They came up with the plan themselves. They're plenty capable of making their own life choices. I'm in charge of the ship, yes, but not their free will. Anybody who doesn't want to be on the ship can leave whenever they feel they decide to. Why, what do _you_ think I should do? Force them to stay on the ship and serve us, make them hate us, and then eventually have to fight them when they decide to try to kill us again? No, I'd rather not."

"Alright, I see your point." Grey conceded. "Just… let's make sure we're ready in case they do try anything."

"Grey, we're gonna be fine. I've already proven I'm stronger than them."

And the two quit their talking because they were getting close to the ship. They'd finally hit the docks. And they didn't want the Marines to hear their conversation. If they got wind that they were second-guessing their deal, they might be thrown into a rage and try something stupid. All Halcen wanted was peace on the ship. And he definitely didn't want to get in a fight here on this island with everything already going on.

"Hey guys," Halcen said as they walked up.

"Hey!" Kazuki called back, looking up at them. Then he looked around them, looking confused. "Where's Valentina?" he asked.

"What do you mean, she's-" Halcen turned to see that there was nobody behind him and Grey. His mouth caught and his chest seized. He looked to Grey quickly.

It showed in his eyes, Grey was scared. "I didn't notice."

 _Oh god._ Halcen turned and started running back down the docks towards the town, his feet beating as fast as possible against the cracked ground. _Oh god no!_ The air felt cold across his face. _Please no!_ His hair flew wildly. _Please let her be okay._ He could barely get enough air to keep running. _Please god!_ He ran as hard as he could, looking around back and forth along the way they had come. _Please don't tell me I fucked up. Please don't…_ Finally, up the hill, he came to where she had last been standing. He stared down at a ceramic figurine. Halcen knelt down to pick it up. The penguin. _She's gone._


	7. Losing Your Shit

**AN: I met a girl who sang the blues, and I asked for some happy news, and she told me I still don't own One Piece. That little bitch. Lol**

 **Reader Beware! I'm in a pretty good groove, so most of this is coming pretty easily. So make sure you follow so you don't miss out. Enjoy!**

* * *

Losing Your Shit

Halcen walked slowly back down to the docks, with the figurine in his hand, staring at it. Tears welled up in his eyes. His chest kept seizing so he could barely breathe, though he tried anyway. Each breath an exasperated cry. He arrived at the wooden floating mass and noticed the bald man was still sitting there. Halcen flared up in anger and rushed at the man. He grabbed him by the collar with his free hand and threw the man onto the ground. Halcen stood above him with his fist clenched around the figurine, ready to bash this guy's face in. His eyes flared in hatred. "What did you do to her, you sick fuck?!"

"Halcen!" Grey shouted, chasing after him. He grabbed the distraught captain and pulled him off the trembling man. "What are you doing?"

"He knows where she is!"

"Why do you think that?"

"He told me to take Valentina off the island before something happened. He knows what's going on here!"

Grey looked at the man. "You better start explaining." Halcen could feel a power like none he had ever felt coming from Grey.

And the man obeyed. "Alright. Here's what I know." He rolled back over onto his stomach and stood back up, taking his time. Finally, he sat back down on his bench. But there was something off about him. "The Bear God isn't just a superstition to some people. There are those that actually worship him. And they serve him." He was terrified. "They do a lot to please him."

"Like bringing him women?"

"Only young, attractive women."

"Why didn't you tell us this when we first got here?"

"I'm barely allowed to even stay alive. I'm hardly able to manage warning lost crews that wash up here without getting myself killed. If I was to straight out tell anyone, then I would be taken care of for sure. And now I'm going to end up dead for this."

Grey realized he was right. Just this warning was enough to put this man on their short list. "So this cult… where do they bring the women?"

"Somewhere in the forest. That's all I know. I don't go there. I try to stay as far from it as possible. And I stay down here all day everyday to try to keep people like you out of there as well. I figure if I can make you uncomfortable enough to want to leave, then at least you'll leave alive."

"What do they do to the women?"

"I'd rather not know. I can sometimes hear their screams. It keeps me up most nights." He looked down at himself shamefully. "I'm not a fighter. There's nothing I can do. I just try to keep you guys from getting hurt."

"And then what happens to the crews? The ones that they stole the women from?"

"The ones that don't leave? They all die. There's an army of these people. They'll overwhelm anyone who tries to fight. This is the part where most of them run. I suggest you do the same."

"We can't do that," Halcen jumped back in. "I promised I would protect her. I need to save her."

"Halcen," Grey began, solemnly.

"No, Grey! I'm not turning around and leaving her here. We can't do that. You Know that."

"I wasn't suggesting we do. I was going to say we need to make a plan. We can't just rush in there. I know you're upset, but now's when we need you to put your head to use. What can we do? How are we going to find her in this massive forest?"

Halcen had to think for a moment. There were so many signs to follow. _Clues: people behaving aggressively, the island giving off weird vibes, the sky refusing to settle._ "There's too much going on here all at once. We need information to decipher it all." Halcen continued to think for a moment. "The bartender. There has to be a bartender!"

"Bartender?" Grey asked in confusion.

"People drink and talk. Bartenders hear everything. Whether or not they're willing to help us is different, but they at least have to know something."

"Alright," Grey turned back to the man with kind eyes. "Listen… what's your name?" he asked, softening his tone.

The man was panicking; truly horrified. He didn't want to help anymore. He knew he was in danger as it was. "Lenny," he finally answered.

"Alright, Lenny, is there a bar here? Somewhere a lot of people go to let go?"

"Yeah… there's a place up the hill. It's a couple levels above the center of town. Diego's place. He's actually a good man, but he has to follow their rules the same way I do… or we all die."

Grey nodded, understanding. "Thank you, friend," he said, patting Lenny on the shoulder. "We appreciate the help." Grey turned back to Halcen. "Alright, let's get going."

Halcen's face was red with the swirling of so many different emotions. "Yeah, we gotta take care of this."

So Halcen and Grey went back to the Black Tail to lay out the plan to the crew. "We're gonna go talk to this bartender and hopefully we'll get some answers. This place is so fucked up; I don't know what to make of it." Grey was trying to maintain focus on himself, instead of forcing Halcen to take charge, knowing Halcen was in a bad place. "Do you want to stay here? I can take Bo or Kazuki with me instead?" He asked Halcen quietly.

"No, I have to do this." He turned and headed back to the rest of the crew. "The shipment of supplies should be here relatively soon. Get to work as soon as it gets here. Bailu."

"Yes, Captain?"

"I need you to bust your ass on this. We need a sailable ship immediately."

"Roger."

Then Grey and Halcen turned and headed out, back toward the town, passing Lenny on their way off the docks. They had a bartender to interrogate. They stalked up the levels of the god-cursed town. They could feel the eyes of window-peering lechers on them. Nobody dared come to confront them. The two men had a look about them. They were out for blood. These town-dwellers were not equipped to handle that.

Finally, they made it to Diego's Tavern. They could hear the normal noises of a bar that they had heard throughout their lives. This was no different than any other bar, regardless of how cursed their island was. And that was too bad for the bar-divers. The inside was a regular setup; tables and chairs all over with people sitting in them. It was still rather early in the day to be drinking, so there weren't many people, just a few random assholes. These were the drunkards that couldn't make through their day without having a drink. They had to cut out of work early to get to the bar.

 _Shameless scum._

Halcen and Grey burst in throwing glares at all the slobs sitting around the inside. None of them wanted to deal with whatever was about to go down. They cleared out quickly, probably finding this a good chance to skip their tabs; vermin that they were.

The two men walked to the counter where the man worked. Diego. He was quite a large man, thick tan skin, short brown hair. He seemed late forties. He had a nice face. Lenny wasn't wrong. He seemed okay. _Seemed_.

Halcen and Grey stood before him. "Listen here, man," Halcen started, amped up.

Grey stopped him, sitting down on the stool in front of the bar. "Listen, Diego, we've got some questions."

"I don't serve outlanders. Sorry." They believed that he actually meant it.

"We're not here for a drink," Grey told him.

"I was afraid of that, the way you scared my customers out of here."

Halcen picked up from there, "Yeah, well maybe we're just returning a favor."

"Have I done something to you?" Diego asked earnestly.

"Not you specifically, but your town sure has done a number. Our friend is missing."

"Oh," he took a moment, a sad glaze over his eyes. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"I doubt it," Halcen spat.

"Listen, I had nothing to do with your friend. I just serve alcohol to the townsfolk."

"That's why we're here," Grey said, trying to focus on the point. "We want to know what they know."

"What who knows?"

"The townsfolk. We're sure somebody has said something about where she might have gone."

"Your friend? Why would anybody know where she went?"

Halcen smashed his fist down on the bar counter, alarming Diego. "You know why." He stared deep into his eyes. "We want to know where they take the girls."

Diego's face tightened. "I don't know anything about that."

"Don't lie to us," Grey said, calmly. "There's been a lot of weird stuff going on here. You know enough about it to be scared. Tell us what you know, and we'll be on our way."

"I think you gentlemen should leave." Diego pointed at the door.

Halcen grabbed his hand and slammed it on the counter, then started squeezing it tight, almost to the point of breaking the bones.

"Ow! Let go of me. What are you doing?"

"Tell me where they took her!" Halcen shouted.

"I can't tell you anything!"

"Why not?!"

"Cause they'll kill me!"

Halcen looked deep in his eyes. Diego was afraid. So Halcen lowered his voice in a rage unlike any other, and with evil coldness said "I'll kill you right now."

"No, you won't."

Diego was wrong. Halcen grabbed the rest of Diego's arm and pulled him over the bar counter and threw him on the ground of his own bar. He clattered into a mess of table and chairs, smashing his head. Halcen reached down to pick him back up, then slammed his body onto the tabletop. "You know, it's too bad I lost my knife, cause I could have some fun with it. But I guess I just have to beat you to death."

"What are you doing?!" Diego shouted.

"I told you. I'm gonna kill you!"

"Please don't!" His eyes teared up.

"THEN WHERE'S MY FRIEND?!"

"I can't tell you," Diego choked, crying.

"Then I guess I have to kill you." Halcen flung Diego's body against the near wall, crashing against some ledges where he had memorabilia items collected. They all clattered to the ground in the violent scene. Diego's face was bloodied. He was coughing and crying. Halcen reached down to pick him up and put him on his feet. "You know, if you just told me, I wouldn't have to do this. I only want the people responsible. But I'll kill anyone who gets in my way."

"I can't…"

Halcen dropped him with a hard punch to the stomach. Diego fell to his knees. Halcen grabbed his head and looked into Diego's eyes. They were tired; he didn't have much left in him. He pulled back his fist for one more strike. This one was going to do some significant damage.

"Alright! Alright!" Diego shouted, giving in. "I'll tell you. Please just… don't hurt me anymore."

Halcen let his head go and listened. "Tell me."

"They… they take them to the forest."

"Who? Where in the forest?"

"The Kumashinja."

"The Kuma Ninjas? Are you fucking kidding me?"

"No… the Kuma _shinja_. The Believers of the Bear. They're the cult that runs this island. There's an altar, near a cave deep in the woods. They usually take small rafts around to the other side of the island. It's faster than walking. It's supposed to be near the eastern coast."

"The east coast?" _That's where we came in last night._

"Yes. Please. That's all I know. I've never been there."

"You don't worship this Bear God?"

"No. But if I don't help them, they'll kill me."

"Fair enough. I believe you." Then Halcen took out his pistol and shot the man in the head, spraying his blood everywhere.

Grey sighed. "I thought you believed him?"

"I do. This is a warning. And it covers our tracks. Anybody who doesn't cooperate with us, dies. And now they won't think he told us. The less they think we know, the better. It was the smart thing to do. Plus, if he's got family, they're protected."

"Fair enough," Grey said, shaking his head.

"Let's go."

Halcen and Grey stepped outside to a scene. There were a dozen people standing around the outside of the crowd. They were drawn by the commotion inside the bar. The gunshot must have rattled them. And they were even more shocked by the man covered in blood; worse being it was clearly someone else's since Halcen didn't have a scratch on him. The men they had scared out of the bar hung in the back of the crowd, surely knowing exactly what had just happened.

Halcen took this chance to address the crowds. "Anyone who doesn't help us ends up dead. If you fear for your life, stay out of my way. But we're not leaving without our friend!" And then he turned and walked away, Grey following his lead.

The two finally made it back to the ship, finding that their supplies had been delivered. Bailu and the snipers were hard at work making the repairs to the ship. His shouting and cussing could be heard far off. He was certainly very particular about how everything had to work.

 _I suppose that's a good thing._ Halcen went to him. "How are the repairs coming?"

Bailu looked up at the Captain. "Would be better if these assholes knew what the fuck they were doing! I thought you said they were Marines! How can Marines be this fucking stupid?"

Halcen shrugged. "How long?"

"Maybe a day and a half," then he turned back to the Kazuki and Bo, "if these two can learn to follow simple fucking instructions!"

"Just get it done," Halcen said, moving on from the conversation. He went to sit down.

Grey came up, and Bo stopped him. "Please get us out of this," he begged.

Grey chuckled a little and then shook his head. "He's an old man. Can you handle him?"

Bo's eyes widened with fear. "This is no old man. He's a monster."

Grey put his hand on Bo's shoulder. "We need you guys to handle this. There's a lot we have to take care of on own end too. Everybody has their jobs."

"Any leads?" Kazuki asked from the other side of the ship.

"Yeah, but we need to go figure out what we're gonna do about it." Then Grey headed down to the captain's quarters. It wasn't very large, but it was enough for Halcen to get away from the crew when he needed to think or sleep. "So what's the plan?"

Halcen was sitting on his bed. "We need to get over there, now."

"Now?"

Halcen stood up, then started getting some of his stuff together. "Yeah, we can steal one of these rafts, just you and I, and go take care of this right now. We know where they're supposed to be. Let's go." He started heading to the door where Grey was standing.

"Whoa, hold on now." Grey held his arms out to stop Halcen. "Are you sure you want to do that? I mean, it's starting to get late. I think you need some rest before we do this. We can go take care of this in the morning."

"Rest? You think I'm gonna be able to sleep, knowing she's out there? This is my fault! I need to go save her, now! She's counting on me!"

"Halcen, you need to calm down," Grey tried talking with a soothing voice. "You can't get all riled up right now. We need you to be the clear-headed one."

"I am clear-headed!"

"Then why did you kill that man?"

"Because he was protecting them. He would have talked!"

"Or… is it because you're just so angry that you can't control yourself?"

"I don't have time for this, we need to get going!"

"No! You're gonna stand here and listen to _me_ for once!"

"Grey-"

"Be quiet!" he cut Halcen off.

"God, alright, what?"

Grey talked calmly. "You can't be running around throwing a tantrum. You're the captain of this crew. You need to keep your composure. I understand that you're upset, but we can't just vanish and take our chances on what might happen. You walked into town and murdered a man; there are going to be ramifications. Bo and Kazuki aren't going to be enough to handle it by themselves. We need to get a solid plan together so that we have the ability to deal with both situations. So what you need to do is stay in here and sleep on it. We can make a move in the morning."

Halcen fumed. He didn't do well with being told what to do. "So you want me to do what? Lay here in bed for hours wasting time while this fucking cult has her? You heard what Lenny and Diego said! They're going to kill her! Are you okay with letting that happen? If we don't get over there as soon as possible, she's going to get hurt!"

"And if you charge over to the other side of the island without any preparation, _you're_ going to get hurt! And if you get hurt, you're not gonna be any help to Valentina. We can get still get over there as long as we take care of this side first! We can't just abandon these guys here and let them deal with whatever happens next alone. You're responsible for them too. Valentina isn't the only one you're supposed to protect. The whole crew needs you!"

"Fine, Grey. You're right. Is that what you want to hear?" Halcen walked back to his bed and sat down. "I just… feel like I can't sit still. It's my fault! I was supposed to protect her. That was the deal when I let her off the ship. I failed her. I can't just sit around doing nothing."

Grey sat on the bed beside Halcen. "You won't be doing nothing. You'll be preparing. You won't be any help to her, the wreck that you are now. We all need to be ready. We don't even have any idea what this 'Bear God' thing even is. We can't just charge in half-cocked, expecting to win. Tomorrow we'll be able to go in fully ready."

"Alright, Grey." Halcen sighed. "Thanks." He was having a hard time dealing with this.

Grey wrapped his arm around Halcen's shoulder. "Everything's going to be okay," he said, comforting his friend.

"Yeah," Halcen nodded. He knew there was no point trying to fight it. "You might be right. I just… have such a hard time not being in control. She's out there and I can't stop that by myself. So yeah.. we'll put a plan together in the morning. For now, I think I should just try to get some sleep. I think we should all turn in. I want everybody up as early as possible."

"Sounds good, Captain." Grey stood up, feeling better. He left the room and headed out to share the plan with the crew.

They all had important things to take care of before they could actually settle in for the night, so it took some time, but eventually each crew member headed down to their bunks. Slowly, they all were able to conquer their anxieties about what they were up against and faded to sleep in their own bunks. It took a while, but finally everyone was down for the night.

Halcen sat up silently. _Sorry Grey. I can't just sit here and wait._ He left his room silently, climbed the stairs to the outside, and snuck across the deck to the dock. He couldn't take the Black Tail, but he could steal one of these smaller boats the townspeople had floating around the dock. Nobody had been seen coming to use any of them. _Probably because of us. No one wants to come down here alone with the outsiders._ Halcen unroped one of the small paddle-boats from the dock and was off with a heavy push. He was trying to be as quiet as possible, so he kept the paddles out of the water until he had was sure he was out of earshot. And then he disappeared into the night, not leaving even a note. _They'll be okay. They have Grey. Valentina needs me._

Halcen paddled in silence, only uttering a random curse word from time to time. His mind was on the mission: rescue the woman. So he continued through the night, stroking the paddles through the water until he was on the far side of the island. _East coast. This ought to do._ He found a spot with a small patch of sand leading up to the grass above and drove the boat up on that. He dragged it in the last few feet then turned to the trees and started for them.

The pirate captain waded through the forestry for what felt like hours. He began to feel more distraught as time dragged on and he found no signs. But he continued on around drops, over streams, and avoiding carnal animals' calls. He made a heading in as much of a straight line as he could, toward a general area that he hoped would be about where the cultists had taken her.

 _Where are you?_

Then he saw light in the distance. It was close, relatively. The glow emanated across a semi-large area. As he got closer, he could hear voices, but he couldn't make out any of what they were saying. He pressed on, silently sifting through the wood until he was close enough. He could tell there were quite a few people in the area, but he couldn't figure out what they were up to. He only knew it had to be no good. As he drew near, he could actually sense the presence of the people walking about, but couldn't tell how powerful any of them might be. And then he was close enough to make out figures.

They were everywhere. Men clad in dark red cloth. Only their important parts were covered: feet, groin, chest, and head. The rest was all exposed skin. It had to be armor of some sort. These were the cultist. They all wore exactly the same thing. They sounded excited. _The Kumashinja._

And beyond them, on the other side of their swarm, was her. A beautiful woman with long pink hair strung up on what seemed like a metal altar. She was in a standing position with her arms were tied up over her head to the chunk of metal. Halcen couldn't make out her facial expression, but it was her. _Valentina._

Halcen felt a sharp sting in his neck, and then everything went black.

* * *

Grey was awoken by the sound of shouting. Something had scared somebody. Grey bolted up out of bed and looked about, confused. _What the heck is going on?_

Then he dashed out from the bunks to the deck of the ship into the morning light. He was temporarily blinded so he put his hand up this face to shade his eyes. _There_. He saw Kazuki at the end of the dock, so he raced to meet him. Surely there was danger. Grey clenched his fists, ready to brawl. But ahead of them, he didn't see any danger. "What's going on, Kazuki? Why are you shouting?"

Kazuki pointed up.

Above them, across the sign for docks, was strewn a dead body. It was nailed up in pieces. They looked like some kind of beast had had their fun with it, then tossed the remains aside. There were all kinds of tear marks all over them. The gnarled mess was dripping blood down on the ground in front of the two men. It had already formed a decent sized pool.

Grey gazed upon the mess in horror… and then he recognized the body. It was Lenny, the man that Grey had forced to give them information. His body was recognizable not only by the size of the chunks, but his head had been perfectly preserved, with the fear he had felt in his final moments frozen on his face. Whoever had done this wanted them to know how terrified Lenny was while he was being butchered. This was a message. This was what happens to those that defy the Bear God. _This sick son of a bitch._

Grey turned to run back to the ship, rampaging through, inspecting each bunk to make sure that there was nobody else missing. But there was: Halcen. Grey couldn't find him anywhere. _Halcen, where the hell are you at a time like this? Don't tell me they got you without me noticing…_ Grey scanned the immediate area. He noticed one of the boats was missing. _You little prick._

Grey gathered the crew. "Halcen went on ahead. We have to make a plan to make sure we can get to him before something happens. He went off to rescue Valentina without us. I doubt he's gonna be able to take care of this all by himself. So we need to prep, and leave." He nodded to Bailu, "You need to get this ship ready, now!" Then he turned to Kazuki. "You're gonna stay here and protect these three." And then he came to Bo. "You're gonna come with me. We're gonna take one of these boats and get over to the other side as fast as we can." And he turned back to Bailu. "And you guys are gonna come get us when this ship is ready. Got it?"

They all mumbled in agreement.

Bailu wasn't happy though. "So I have to work faster and probably hurt myself because our dumbass captain ran off to get himself killed?"

Grey got close to Bailu and stared into his eyes. "I've given you your space so far because I thought all your bitching was harmless, but now I'm done. You do what you're told to do because you're paid to do it. I don't care what your problems are with Halcen, or me, or anybody else for that matter. You do this because it needs to be done. Do you understand me?"

Bailu nodded. "Yes, sir."

And then they began getting ready to leave. Grey got some supplies packed for the trip, and Bo got his weapons ready.

Grey went back to the bloody mess and looked up at Lenny. _I'm sorry._ Grey was truly sorry to have gotten Lenny hurt, but he had no time to give the man a proper burial. _I hope I can come back soon to make amends._

"Wait…" Bo whispered.

"What?" Grey looked to Bo, standing there next to him, looking around like he was trying to place something.

"Do you hear that?"

Grey silenced himself and closed his eyes. He could feel it before he could hear it. His hearing wasn't as great as it once had been like the young man next to him, but his sensory Haki wasn't half bad. He could feel it. "There's a horde of people heading toward us." And they all felt very aggressive. They were hyped up on something, but Grey couldn't figure out what would set off that many people all at once.

"What?" Bo asked.

"We're under attack."

"Oh, really? Yay," he said sarcastically. "Just one thing after another with you people, isn't it?"

"It seems that way," Grey admitted, unhappily. Grey stormed back toward the Black Tail. "Change of plans!" he announced. "A horde is headed our way. We need to put up a defense! Kazuki, Bo, and I will fight them off. Loyola, Jory, I know you're hurt, but I need you to try to help Bailu as much as possible in fixing this ship."

"No," Jory said, standing up. "I'm gonna help _you_."

"Jory, you're hurt."

"Then there won't be any problem in me getting hurt more, will there?"

"Now's not the time to play hero."

"Hero? How many people are heading our way?"

"Not sure. It felt like the majority of the town though, so maybe fifty."

"And you think you three can handle that yourselves? Cause I don't. At least let me be of some use. Then we can go back to your plan when the fight is over."

"Are you sure?"

Jory nodded. He had a brave heart. Grey admired that.

Grey sighed. "Alright, but don't get anymore hurt. If it's too much for you, let me know."

"Yes, sir." Jory went to grab his sword, then he came out to step on the dock with the others.

Bo and Kazuki were already armed, so they went to find the best spots to make themselves most efficient. They took advantage of the fact that most of the town was abandoned and most of their buildings were empty. The roofs of these abandoned buildings on the lower level street provided perfect sniper positions. Bo took one on the right of the docks and Kazuki took one of the left. Grey was as ready as possible. They all just had to get mentally ready.

And then they could see the mass of humans hurtling down the levels of the village down towards the docks. Bo and Kazuki could see the actual people. They could see no children, just men and women seemingly spanning from their twenties to their later years. Grey and Jory could not see the individuals yet, just the cloud of dirt billowing from their stampede.

 _This is going to be intense._

And then the bullets began flying. The snipers took their jobs seriously. While the mob was still heading down the levels towards them, Bo and Kazuki were able to start picking them off, one by one. But with how far away they were and how fast they were moving, not all of their shots were headshots. And with how many there were total, they didn't have the ability to take their numbers down enough. But at least they were doing some damage. They counted eleven down by the time the horde got to the lowest level.

 _And now it's our turn._ Grey saw them coming finally, and he was even more confused. They all seemed to be carrying weapons of the like that they could find. Since the island was void of weapons as the woman at the store had told them, these people had found things like rakes, shovels, kitchen knives, and similar items that they could find around the house. But the most confusing thing was that they all seemed to be in unintelligible rages. They were acting like ravenous beasts, rampaging because it was the only thing they understood. These quiet townspeople had been induced into mindless violence. Nothing was going to stop their spree, unless they themselves were put down.

Grey charged at the mass. He couldn't let them get to the docks, the Black Tail, or the rest of the crew. They needed to be kept safe, so Grey was going to put his life on the line. He ran in, fists flying first. And then he went at it.

They all attacked like monsters and Grey had had plenty of experience with monsters. He made sure his left arm was always in shield position as he began to throw punches with his right. This old-timer packed quite the punch, as one strike threw one person into the crowd, knocking over multiple behind him, clearing a path. The punch wasn't enough to kill, but it was for sure enough to break their ribs and cause a movement hindrance.

Then with his left arm, he swung back across the few that were trying to cling to him, throwing them as well into the mass they came from. He took advantage of this and jumped over their numbers into the middle, dropping a few more with his legs. He began punching them with multiple throws. Grey could hear their bones cracking with each of his attacks. He was doing more damage than they could handle.

They began encircling Grey and taking swings at him with their individual weapons. Some landed, but they were with the strength of regular humans who had never trained. They did little damage, so Grey began to feel a little more confident. They were encircling him, but he was keeping up a steady pace with his punches.

* * *

Nearby, Jory was having a hard time keeping up the same pace, since he was already in pain from his fight with Anosmia's crew. They had been quite a fight, but it had been to defend his own crew. For the protection of others, Jory was willing to push himself. That's what he was doing now. He had only had two nights to rest, but he was still sore. He refused to let that be his main concern. His crew was in danger. So he fought.

These monstrous people kept coming at him, but he was able to slash most of them away. They were pretty weak, relatively speaking, but that didn't mean that they weren't still a threat. He still needed to be careful. They poked and bashed at him, but he refused to go down.

 _This is for my crew!_ He turned and slashed as hard and deeply as he could into the oncomers. Their blood flew in arches around Jory as he continued to fight them off.

* * *

Bo and Kazuki continued firing. Their rifles never locked or jammed. They were in perfect working condition.

 _Come on, Rebecca._

 _We can do this, Christine._

Bullet after bullet. Body after body. The men's efficiency never diminished. Each time one of these mangy dogs tried to get to Grey or Jory, one of them had it. And they worked in perfect unison. Never did they cross targets. They were a perfect working pair; a machine of death.

Eventually, some of the people actually seemed to think, making a heading towards the buildings they were shooting from the top of. Neither Grey nor Jory seemed to notice this. They were stuck in the masse, so they had no ability to see the outskirts.

The two snipers began to pick off the ones trying to gain entrance to their ally's building, neither of them saying a word. With as many as they were able to shoot from the top, there were still a few who escaped from the sniper fire. Realizing their positions had been compromised, they had to prepare for the oncoming assault towards themselves. They each got out a pistol and readied themselves at the roof entrances.

And then it came. The two streams of amped up ragers came breaking through the doors simultaneously. The two men opened fire, headshot after headshot. The bodies dropped and began a pile up. They took advantage of them struggling with the new obstacles and found the time to exit. Kazuki's building was seven stories and Bo's was eight. They both found fire escapes and began descending the outsides of their buildings.

Soon, they were on the ground, and the demented citizens realized they had been duped. They all began to turn and descend the stairs inside the buildings, trying to get back at their prey. The snipers were soon circled. Bo and Kazuki stood back to back. They each drew two pistols and began firing the loud cracking metal of death.

* * *

Eventually, the numbers of the townspeople dwindled. There were only half a dozen left. They were dispatched easily, but with sluggish action. The pirates were tired and had little energy left. This had been a hard battle, but they finally claimed victory. They took a moment to look over the mess of the scene around them. They recognized their own handiwork, and had to accept it. They were killers.

Blood swept across the area like a giant rug. There was no spot that wasn't covered in the thick red liquid for a hundred yards. Bodies piled on top of each other, bones broken out of their skin and chucks or limbs missing. Dead eyes stared off into the distance, but this wasn't a battle where they were going to be honored. This mess was going to be left here as a message back to the Bear God.

The sight made Jory uneasy. These were human beings, and now they were all dead. For what? Some revenge this Bear God demanded in return for their trespass? _It's just not right._

But now that the massacre of war was over, they had to continue to their next plight. There was still much yet undone. "We have to save Halcen," Grey finally said, not looking away.


	8. The Monster Revealed

**AN: Nope... still no news about the One Piece ownership. I might have to fire my assassin... but he's such a nice guy, he has kids. :/**

* * *

The Monster Revealed

Halcen could feel himself waking up, but nothing in his body moved, just his consciousness coming to. Everything felt so sluggish. His existence felt heavy, like he was ready to fall, but he was physically stuck in one place and couldn't move from it. His eyes were slow to open. When they finally did, they were greeted by a dim light that was still too harsh. Everything was blurred. He tried to get an idea of his situation, but couldn't make out any details. Finally, his eyes adjusted and he started to assess his situation.

He was chained up to a metal crucifix of some sort. He could tell it was similar to the one he had seen Valentina tied to. He struggled to look around and began to recognize the area. There were torches all over the place, barley keeping the area lit, with a dark sky above. There were people walking about, the same armor-clad ones he had noticed when he had first arrived at the scene. They were wandering about an area with tents and supply crates scattered about. This must have been some kind of base for them. There were at least two dozen of these men.

In front of Halcen, there was a cave with a giant metal table-looking thing in front of it. Halcen couldn't find the metal piece he had seen Valentina on. Then he realized that it was the same one he was tied to. She was tied to the other side of it. Or rather, he was the one tied to the other side.

"Valentina?" he tried to ask, but only a muffled gagging sound. He realized he was still not in full control of his bodily functions. His mouth was not bound, but he must have been injected with something. _That pain in my neck…_ he remembered. He tried to feel out with sensory Haki, to see if he could feel if Valentina was on the other side. He found that he could feel nothing but a hazy numbness. His mind and body were not under his control. He was prisoner now to a cult that worshipped an evil bear deity. _Just my fucking luck._

Halcen squirmed, trying to unbind himself from the cold metal. That was a bad idea. It alerted the cultists that he was awake.

"Well, well, well. Look who's up," a voice from one of the cultists said. He sounded like a sniveling kiss ass. Halcen hated his voice. The man walked up to Halcen. He had short brown hair and a somewhat older face, about forty Halcen would say. He looked relatively built, but not like a hardened warrior. He was wearing the same outfit as the rest of the men who were wandering the area in preparation for god knows what.

"What… did you… do… to me?" Halcen was finally able to vocalize, but he still sounded like a drunk.

"My own little knockout poison… has some very… lasting effects. I'm honestly surprised you're even awake. It's only been a day. Should have lasted a few, like it has so far for your lady friend."

"Bastard."

"Hey, you gave me no choice. We were minding our own business. Then you come traipsing into our sacred ground? I had to take you down."

"You… stole her."

"Oh, come now. She was never really yours. The second she stepped foot on this island, she was His."

"His?"

"Our God, Kumajin. He gave me this power, and I use it to serve him. He asks for women, he gets them."

"Power?"

"Aren't you paying attention? The power I used to knock you out, the power I used to take the girl. I have been gifted with this power by my God."

"How?" As Halcen slowly gained control of his thoughts, he knew he needed information to survive. Whatever could help him. He couldn't believe that there was an actual demon god out there granting powers to scum like this.

"I earned it. I was His most devoted follower. So He blessed me with my own godliness. A power which seems to take unique forms in each individual. But He chose me." He seemed like a giddy schoolgirl obsessed with a hunky man crush.

"Now what?" Halcen asked, struggling to maintain focus.

"Now? I give you unto Him and He will decide what to do with you." The man walked around to the other side of the crucifix Halcen was chained to. He could hear the man speaking quietly, but still loud enough to make out what he was saying. "Now you, my dear, are coming with me." There was a slight untightening as the chain holding Valentina to the metal slab behind Halcen was undone.

Halcen watched as the man carried her in his arms to the metal table at the entrance of the cave. She was still unconscious. The man then began to chain her to that altar instead, ensuring her security for their god. "Time to wake up now, my sweet," he said in a hissing voice. Then Halcen witnessed a disgusting development. From the man's index finger came out a long metal needle, as if it were part of him.

 _This must be his power. The god-power he was given…_

The man moved to pierce Valentina's neck with his needle finger and then pulled it back out. Shortly after, her eyes opened and she let out a gasp. She looked around, struggling to make sense of what was going on.

"Valentina," Halcen tried to say to get her attention, but he couldn't speak loud enough. She was right there, but she couldn't hear him. He wanted to tell her everything was going to be okay. But he couldn't be sure of that. He was alone and unable to move. How could he do anything to save her? _Grey was right, I should have had a plan…_

"What's going on?!" she cried out. Clearly whatever the man had injected her with was meant to counteract the effects of the serum he had used to knockout both her and Halcen.

Halcen had been given no such substance, unfortunately. _Maybe if I can get him to give me a shot of that…_

She was clearly terrified. "I… I can't move."

… _Or maybe it was better that he didn't._

"This is for your own well-being," the snake man said to her. "So you don't hurt yourself."

"Then why am I bound?"

"Precaution. Sometimes the paralyzing agent doesn't do its part. This is just to ensure you remain in place."

"Where am I?" she cried. She tried to look around, but with only her eyes to move, she couldn't get a full view of the area. She had no idea Halcen was right there.

"You're in my care, don't worry. We're in the forest."

"What do you want with me?"

And there was the million beri question. The same question Halcen had asked multiple people in town that nobody seemed to know the answer to. Halcen was finally going to get that answer, but he couldn't do a thing about it.

"You're here to become the bride of the Bear God, Kumajin."

 _Bride?_

"Bride?"

"No need to worry, my dear. He will take great care of you. He is a benevolent God. He will treat you well."

"I don't… want to." She began crying.

"No, shhhh…" the man tried to console her. "You will become a god as well. You will live with great power and have no wants or needs. "

"But why?"

"He needs a wife. Our God wants to have a family, make many children. And He needs the perfect woman to help him do that."

"Why me?"

"Well… we don't know if He will actually want you yet. He has rejected all our other offerings so far. So now, we will hope you will appease him, my lady. You could be our Goddess. Don't you want that?"

"No!" She cried harder. "What happens if he doesn't like me? Do I get to go free?"

"If He is not pleased by our offering, we will have to dispose of you."

She began to cry harder. She had no support. "Let me go! Please. I'm begging you!"

"I can't do that. I'm sorry." And then he left her side and walked to the entrance of the cave. "Oh, Kumajin! My great and power God and Master! I have brought you another offering! Please, come to inspect her!"

And Halcen was scared. He could hear the cultist leader's voice echoing through the cave. But the worst thing was there was a response; a grumbling, growling echo from deep within the caverns. Halcen had never met a god before, nor had he believed such things existed. But with everything that he had seen thus far, he couldn't be sure that this creature wasn't what it claimed to be. Just what could it be, if not a god? Heavy footsteps continued up the way of the caves to the entrance. Halcen could make out a bit of an outline. It rested for a second, then stepped forward once more into the light.

It was a great beast indeed. It stood a massive fifteen feet tall with great broadness and thick limbs. The Bear God, Kumajin, indeed looked like a massive bear. It stood on its two hind legs and had regular human-formed arms, but with great claws at their ends. He was coated in a lush brown fur. His face had a half-snout, with a black nose at the end, and a sparkling teeth inside his great maw. This was a beast of utter power.

Halcen could feel the power flowing off of him. This must have been the reason these men all followed him. And as Halcen looked about at the cultists, he saw they were all bent down on one knee, bowing their heads to Kumajin. _Terrifying._

"Rise, Domian." His voice quaked through the air around them. It was deep and commanding. It was… compelling.

And the leader did so. Domian was his name. He snickered. "My Lord, we have found another option in your search for a wife-to-be." He turned around to the altar and walked to the other side so Valentina was between the two of them. "This woman, another drifter lost at sea. Her crew came seeking refuge from the storm."

"Another? So soon?"

"Yes, I thought it was quite fortunate. Two in a matter of a few weeks. I think maybe this is the world answering your request. I have hope that she will be the one. Please, check for yourself."

And the beastly god did. He hunched over Valentina, who was shaking in fear, tears streaming down her face. He inhaled deeply, smelling her. A bear must have had great smelling capabilities, able to pick up on all sorts of things humans miss. He opened his eyes and there was a sudden spark. "Domian," he said lowly.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"This woman… is perfect."

Domian's eyes flashed in joy. "That is wonderful news, my Lord!" he celebrated. "Men, did you hear that? Our offering has been accepted!"

The cultists rejoiced. All their hard work had paid off. How long they had spent searching for a woman for this monster, Halcen couldn't even guess.

 _All the wasted lives in pursuit of this. Disgusting. Even if he is a god…_

"Please don't!" Valentina cried out. "I don't want to be your wife!"

Kumajin stared into her eyes. "You will become a God like I have. You will have power over this island in the same manner that I have for all these years. We will live happily in bliss for eternity."

"Please, just let me go!"

Kumajin's presence got very still. "No!" he growled. "You will be mine! And you will bear my children!"

"Oh god, no! Please."

"I am God. And soon, you will be too. There is no one else to pray to." He stood up. "I will go and get the God Fruit for her to partake in."

 _God Fruit?_

"Yes, my Lord! But one more thing!"

"What is it, Domian?" He asked, as he was about to turn back into the cave.

"There was a man who tried to interrupt out festivities last night as we prepared your wife. He's here, on the slab." Domian walked over to Halcen to point him out. "What would you like us to do with him?"

"Keep him tied. My bride and I will feast on him once she has become a Goddess. He shall be our wedding meal."

"Yes, my Lord." He bowed his head once more as the beast disappeared into the caves.

Halcen began to panic. _He's going to force Valentina to become a bear god as well? And then they're going to eat me? Fuck._

"Wait, who's here?" Valentina asked.

Halcen forced himself to speak. "It's me, Halcen!" he was finally able to get out quietly. It almost wasn't loud enough for her to hear him.

"Halcen? You're here? Please, help me! I can't move."

"Neither can I… I'm sorry."

She began to cry harder.

And Halcen realized "I'm sorry" was nowhere near good enough. He needed to do something. He promised to keep her safe. But he knew he wasn't capable of keeping that promise. Not by himself. Though... he was slowly waking up fully from the drugs he had been injected with by Domian. He was going to do his best to break free and get Valentina out of there.

Kumajin was gone for what felt like hours. In his time away, the Kumashinja began to rally about, making preparations for their forced wedding for their god and Valentina. All Halcen could do was writhe in his position, trying desperately to get the strength in his body back and hopefully loosen these fucking chains. If he couldn't he knew Valentina would be doomed to a lifetime of servitude to this monstrosity that called itself a god. And Halcen coulnd't live with that…not that he would be alive to see it seeing as how he was supposed to be their wedding meal.

 _Fuck this._

Eventually, after forever, the night still hung over the world, Kumajin came back. He wasn't gone long enough though, because Halcen hadn't been able to escape from his bindings, but he was starting to feel some of his strength return. He supposed that the stuff that Domian had forced into him was some potent shit that couldn't just be shrugged off.

Kumajin was carrying something in his giant hands. Compare to him, it looked like an average fruit size in his hand. But Halcen could immediately tell what it was.

 _Devil Fruit?_

Kumajin held onto the fruit like it was a baby. It was mostly black, on the bottom, but changed to a bright red on the top with stars encircling it. It was the shape of a strawberry. This monster meant to force Valentina to eat this Devil Fruit.

 _God Fruit? That means… this god isn't a god. He's a Devil Fruit user. He's nothing but a Bear Zoan parading as a God. This island is so cut off, he doesn't even realize what it actually is. He truly believes he's a god._

"Please, please!" Halcen shouted. "Don't force her to eat that!"

"Silence, meat!" Kumajin shouted back. "I will have my bride! She will turn into a goddess and then she will be mine!"

Halcen was out of moves. He was there alone, tied up, with not enough strength to get free of the shackles that held him.

"Halcen! Help me!" Valentina cried.

Domian knelt down and opened her mouth, so she couldn't struggle.

Kumajin moved the fruit towards her mouth.

"PLEASE!"

 _ **CRACK!**_

The sound of a horrible thunder shot rang through the encampment.

Red liquid dripped onto Valentina's face. It wasn't juice from the Devil Fruit, but Kumajin's blood. He had been shot.

Halcen strained his neck and eyes around the edge of the slab where he was bound. He caught a glimpse of who had come to save them. There was only one person standing in the middle of the camp.

 _Grey._

"Who the hell is this guy?" Kumajin roared.

"This is one of the men who washed ashore with your lovely bride," Domian explained. "But… he shouldn't have been a problem…" He stepped toward Grey. "I sent something to take care of you. How are you here?"

"Oh, you mean the psycho citizens of the town you sent to kill us? They're all dead. You forced me to kill a lot of innocent people, you asshole. Now, you're gonna die for it."

"Me?" Domian laughed. "I have been graced with the powers of a God, you filthy mortal!" Domian turned to Kumajin. "Don't worry, my Lord. I will take care of this one myself. He seems to be a fair bit stronger than most of the others who have come. I apologize for this interruption in your marriage."

"Marriage?" Grey asked. "You're going to force this woman to marry you? You vile, disgusting scum!"

"How dare you talk to a God like that!?" Domian shouted. Then he began to walk towards Grey. "Kumajin, please, continue your ceremony. I will take care of this heathen!"

"Heathen?" Grey laughed. "I'm known the world over as 'Saint.' I just don't bow to false gods."

"Grey, watch out!" Halcen tried to warn. "He's got some kind of injecting power!"

Grey nodded, then looked back to the man. "Well then… shall we?"

Kumajin returned to his attempt at forcing Valentina to eat the Devil Fruit he believed would make her a god like him. Two more bullets snapped through his giant body and he roared in ferocity. He dropped the fruit to the ground in anger and looked about. trying to find the source of the attacks. "Who dares defy my will!?"

While Kumajin was distracted, Kazuki came to Halcen and picked the lock he had been chained with.

Halcen fell to the ground with a heave. "Thank you," he said to Kazuki. "Now, we need to get Valentina freed."

"Can you fight?"

"I'll do my best," Halcen answered.

"Then take these." Kazuki handed Halcen a pistol and a knife. "They're my spares."

Halcen took the weapons thankfully. "Alright, while Grey's taking care of the one guy, we gotta get this monster down. Plus all these other cultists around are gonna get in our way. We take everybody out." Halcen stood up fully, and stretched his limbs. He was sore from being stuck in one position. "Don't worry, Valentina, we're gonna save you!"

Halcen charged in toward Kumajin while he was rampaging, trying to find where the sniper was. Halcen jumped over the metal bed Valentina was laid on and grabbed onto the weakened Bear God. He brought out his knife and jabbed it in the beast's chest.

Kumajin roared in anger, then grabbed Halcen off of him and flung him aside. "You think that tiny pig sticker is gonna do any real damage to me, you bastard?"

"Maybe with enough time, sure." Halcen had to try something. A couple bullets in the pistol weren't going to be enough to take him down, he knew that. Three rifle bullets hadn't taken him down.

"You mortals are so pathetic!"

"At least we try!" Halcen ran at him again.

* * *

The cultists soon surrounded Kazuki. But he was armed with a pistol and good fighting skills. Not only that, but Bo was out in the forest keeping him covered. Bo was there to provide extra protection to whoever seemed to need it. Bo couldn't pick locks, so Kazuki had to be the one sent into the field.

The red-armor-clad men came swinging at Kazuki while he was trying to get back to the woods. If he could get back up in the trees, he would be able to take out more with his rifle, and the two snipers would be able to help both Halcen and Grey fight their enemies. But these cultist bastards were strong. They had some skill with their weapons and they weren't mindless.

 _I suppose that's why these were the ones picked for the cult instead of the others._ Kazuki had a harder time dodging these guys. He brought out Christine, his rifle to use as a defensive weapon as the men swung their own swords and knives. _No weapons on the island my ass. They just don't sell them to outsiders._

* * *

Grey had to be wary of Domian. He supposedly had some kind of "Injecting power," as Halcen called it. Grey could only assume that meant one thing… _Devil Fruit._ And the fact that Domian himself said he had the "powers of a God" just confirmed that had to be it.

Grey rushed the man, dodging the oncoming cultists. They were good, but nowhere near as good as Grey. He jumped in, swinging one swift punch. It landed in Domian's right side.

He groaned and then dropped to his knee. He looked up at Grey and spat. "You think that's gonna be enough to stop me, you barbarian?"

He was much stronger physically than Grey thought he would be. _That should have thrown him. "_ You're really not very good at insults. Has anyone ever told you that?" Grey mentioned. "Might want to work on that. Can't have a God running around not being able to actually scare people." Grey spun around and threw his right leg toward his head. But Domian caught it with his own arms, up like a shield.

"I'm quite disappointed in you," Domian told Grey. "When I saw you here, I knew that meant you had somehow survived my little present. So I figured you had to be quite strong. But you're not giving me anything to be impressed by." He stood up and tried to grab Grey's leg but Grey pulled away too fast. "I mean… I made that special mix just for you guys. Once I realized you weren't going to leave without a fight, I had to come up with a plan to kill you." He tried to close in with an open handed jab.

Grey pulled back quick enough to avoid contact. "So you poisoned all those people just to try to get rid of us?"

"Poison? No. It was a mix of a bunch of different endorphins, adrenaline, and a couple other things… sent them all into an enhanced rage state. They had no idea what was going on. Poor bastards," he laughed.

Grey grabbed Domian's arm and swung him over and smashed him into the ground. "You're no God. You're a demon, and I kill demons."

* * *

Halcen dodged Kumajin's strikes again and again, only barely able to keep up with the swiftness of this massive Bear Zoan. Kumajin was throwing hard jabs down at Halcen that tore through the ground surrounding them. Pockmarks surrounded them and created uneven terrain. This monster's claws were horrendously powerful. Halcen was nervous; having trouble keeping away from the giant.

Bo was providing extra help, but those sniper bullets weren't doing serious damage. A few times he had been able to knock one of Kumajin's attacks off aim and forced him to miss. But Bo was trying to provide cover fire for three different people. He could only do so much.

 _I need to wear this guy out. If he keeps rampaging like this, eventually he'll run out of stamina. I can't get my Haki up in this state. I'm still waking up from that cocktail._

Halcen ducked under the monster's legs and came out the other side. From there, he turned and kicked hard into the backside of his leg, trying to get any little advantage.

The beast groaned, but it wasn't enough to seriously hurt him. So he turned and swiped at Halcen. But Halcen was able to duck down and miss this one too, thankfully. Halcen got in close and speared the monster with the knife in the stomach. Unfortunately, the little knife wasn't enough to get deep. Only a small cut to this beast.

"I'm gonna tear you apart, little man!" Kumajin roared.

"Not a chance!" Halcen turned back and rolled out of the way, pulling the knife with him as Kumajin swung his right claw at the man. Halcen ended up behind the god on his knees. He was panting already. _I can't keep this up,_ Halcen admitted to himself. He was in no condition to fight. He narrowly escaped his enemy's attacks without taking heavy damage and he had only been able to do minor damage himself. He thought back, just a few days ago he had fought a logia pirate captain with intense fury. But Halcen had been poisoned. _So what am I going to do? I can't just keep dodging. I need to get over on this guy._

* * *

Kazuki smashed the butt of Christine into another assaulting cultist's forehead. He dropped to the ground with a shocked look on his face. The Marine sniper wasn't a bad fighter, which surprised them because he was so small. But he had had years of intense training. He was a hardened warrior. Their bullshit flimsy swords and knives weren't going to be enough to take him down.

He ran through their crowd, batting down one after another. He had to pull his pistol a few times to actually seriously hurt or kill the ones that put up a real fight. He was able to slowly wade toward the surrounding treeline, where Bo waited for him, still kicking a few bullets here and there.

Kazuki climbed one of the trees quickly and pulled his rifle up, ready to give support to Halcen and Grey. _Here we go._

* * *

Grey was warmed up enough. Domian was fast and strong, but he had yet to land an injecting needle into him. Grey was still unconvinced that this man really was capable of such things. Being that Halcen seemed drugged, Grey wasn't sure Halcen was all there.

 _And yet, he's fighting that Bear God alone. I need to get this guy taken out quick._

Luckily for Grey, it seemed like his sniper friends had taken care of the majority of the cultists. They were laying about the ground beaten to shit or had a bullet hole.

They had managed to fight their way into the woods. He was reeling from the excessive energy he need to put into this guy. Domian was strong. And he kept nearly catching the needles that jutted out from Domian's fingertips.

Grey had no idea what those needles contained, but he knew he didn't want to catch it.

Another loud cracking sound echoed through the forest as the snipers near them fired rounds into the fray. Grey couldn't follow the bullets' paths, but he heard a great roar. _Good, they're helping Halcen. Keep it up, boys._

And then Domian raged. "That's it!"

"What's the matter with you?" Grey stopped short, worried what might happen next.

"Your damn sniper friends have got to go!" Domian quickly looked around the forest trees. He seemed to have found what he was looking for because he pulled back and headed farther into the forest.

Grey tried to chase after him, but he wasn't fast enough.

Domian stopped and reached his hands out to the treetops, aimed like guns. Two needles jutted out of his two index fingertips.

 _He's nowhere near them, how is he…_

The needles shot out of his fingers like pistol bullets, flying through the air toward their targets: two snipers trying to stay up in the treetops to keep away from the fray, while providing cover fire.

Grey gasped. "No!"

* * *

Kazuki felt a sharp stinging his neck. He slammed it, hoping it was a mosquito. His hand came away, and he looked at what he had pulled from his neck. He looked upon the object in terror. A small metal needle that seemed to have a tiny vial attached sat there in his hand. _Oh god._

* * *

Halcen's eyes wandered, trying to find anything he could use that might deal some serious damage. He wasn't going to be getting any support from his crewmates. The snipers were up in the trees, but had seemed to stop firing. Halcen hoped that didn't mean anything had happened to them. Grey himself seemed to be barely managing himself, which was a bad sign.

And then Halcen spotted Valentina laying there on the table. _If I don't beat this guy, she's never gonna get out of here._ _I can't fight for shit right now though. My body's felt so sluggish since they drugged me. That's right… they poisoned me. Had to be some kind of relaxant… but my body can't shake it. The adrenaline from this fight hasn't been enough. I'm gonna need something stronger… Oh fuck._ _I've got an idea. This is gonna hurt like a motherfu_ _cker._

Halcen pulled up the knife that Kazuki had been kind enough to lend him. He knew he had no other chance. While Kumajin's back was turned, he took the dagger and jammed it under his own left pinky nail. An intense pain like none other he had ever experienced rocketed through his entire body. He grunted into a loud unintelligible shout as he twisted the knife between his flesh and tore out the nail. His body trembled, almost sending him into shock. But it was enough. Blood quickly pooled to the area and his entire arm throbbed from the point of the pain stinging all the way through his body.

Kumajin turned around in shock, horrified at the man's facial expression. "Pathetic little human!" He threw his claw at Halcen. And it landed with a loud thud against his chest. Black gloss coated the man. Kumajin pulled back in awe.

Halcen laughed hysterically. "You see, _Bear God_ , I have power of my own. But I couldn't use it because your little cocksucker injected me with god knows what kind of poison. I've been having to fight you with about twenty percent strength this whole time. Now, it's time to go all out!"


	9. A Shot In The Dark

**AN: I ran a little late posting this. Apologies. Lots of different stuff popped up.**

 **BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT... I may be getting word from my assassin about getting those rights for One Piece ;)**

* * *

A Shot In The Dark

Knowing he didn't want to lose much blood, Halcen tore a small strip from his shirt and tied it around his left pinky tight enough to add to the pain he had just experienced. He twisted the cloth around his skin to the extent that was possible and then looked at Kumajin, satisfied with himself. Halcen's body was pounding with frightful exhilaration. His brain was pumping all kinds of chemicals throughout his body. This pirate was ready to rage against this wanna-be god. "Come on you big brown piece of shit! I don't have all night!" he shouted.

Kumajin was appalled that anyone would dare to speak to him in such a vulgar tone. "I am a god, you pathetic man! I will destroy you!"

"A god?" Halcen scoffed. "Please, you're nothing but a fraud. That 'God Fruit' you seemed to be obsessed with forcing Valentina to eat? Those are called 'Devil Fruits' the world over. Apparently your little backwater island doesn't know shit about the world outside. You're not a god. You're a demon!"

"How dare you try to defile the holiness that I exude!" Kumajin lunged at Halcen again, his right claw swinging hard.

Halcen wasn't fast enough to dodge it. He had really set Kumajin off. But the Armament Haki he was finally able to clad himself in protected him enough from real damage. He went skipping over the ground. He finally stood up to see Kumajin was already on him again.

"I thought you said you were stronger now?" Kumajin roared as he thrusted his left claw into Halcen's stomach.

The force of power he took lifted Halcen off the ground and his eyes crossed in pain. He fell to the ground on his back several yards back. The beastly monster was so much stronger than Halcen had thought he was going to be. _You'd think a Zoan would be just above average strength. But this thing… is so much more. I can't imagine how he got this powerful._ The Haki would protect him well enough, for now. But Halcen's attacks had done little more than scratch the beast. Knives and bullets didn't faze him. So there was little either could do to actually hurt the other, meaning the fight was going to drag on. _So what am I supposed to do?_

* * *

Kazuki got his sights on one of the cultists. He had made his way around Kazuki into the forest and was in the treetops. The man had his own rifle, ready for a fight. They locked eyes.

 _Shit._

Kazuki bailed out of the tree, down a twenty foot drop, as the cultist began firing the rifle at him. Two bullets hit right where Kazuki had been standing.

 _This guy is good._

Kazuki stayed behind the thick tree and sat thinking before making a move. One wrong move could end him. He peeked out around from the tree only to have flying bark meet him. A bullet had just skimmed off the side of the tree, about an inch from his face. Kazuki jerked his head back in reaction.

 _I need to get out from behind here._

Kazuki leapt from behind the tree he was taking shelter under to the next one over. In that exact instance, a bullet flung his way, scratching the back of his left calf. _Fuck, he got me._

The Marine sniper pulled himself in tight behind the new tree and took a moment to check his leg. His calf was important. The wound wasn't that bad, just mostly a surface scratch. It would be fine with some time, but it was enough to hinder him in this fight.

 _He's dangerous. I've never encountered a random sniper with this much skill before._

So Kazuki positioned his own rifle out from behind his coverage and opened fire on the trees to the far side where the sniper was holed up. Kazuki let his rifle fire protect him from the threat of the man coming at him. So far, the other man had made all the moves. Now it was Kazuki's turn. Once he had started firing, the cultist dropped from his tree ledge and ran into the thicket where there was plenty of coverage to keep him hidden.

 _He's extraordinarily trained. Maybe he's just that naturally gifted._

Kazuki jumped back behind of one of the trees in between himself and the brush where the cultist was hidden. He needed to close the distance between them. So he was going to slowly jump from one tree to the next. This was a forest after all. Lots of trees for protection. He just had to be careful to avoid being hit again.

 _But where is Bo? I haven't seen him or heard him make a peep in a while. He better be okay, that damn egghead. Always getting into trouble._

* * *

Grey watched in horror as Kazuki chased after his friend, Bo. Why, Grey could not fathom. His body shook and his mind raced in fear. "What did you do to them?" Grey roared in anger at Domian, who just stood there, smiling slyly.

"A dash of hallucinations, juiced up their paranoia. You know, made them think they were fighting their enemies. It's gonna be fun to watch them kill each other. I realized how good they both were, and well, I had to hand it to them. They seemed equally impressive for sure. I realized the only ones on this island that were gonna be able to take them out, were themselves. Don't you just love it? Hope you weren't too attached."

Grey looked at Domian, enraged. "I'm going to kill you before they get a chance to hurt each other!"

"Well you better hurry up," Domian laughed. "They're both killers. You might run out of time." Domian quickly fired a finger pistol needle at Grey, trying to catch him unawares.

It didn't work. Grey was able to sidestep it. Then he rushed in and threw a huge heavy punch against Domian's face. He twisted around but was able to find him footing again.

"Wow, that was a little better. Not gonna lie." He rubbed his face. "But it seems you're past your prime, old man. Might want to leave these big fights to the younger people."

"Old man!? What are you, like ten years younger than me?"

"HA! I'm not a relic yet. I'm still full of youth!" Domian threw another shot at Grey. "Take your medicine!"

Grey ducked down to the left, then swept around the back of Domian. He jabbed hard with his left hand into Domian's left back ribs.

"AH!" Domian grunted. He turned quickly and tried to swipe Grey across the face.

But Grey caught his left arm with his own right. He put pressure on it by bending it. Then began to jab over and over with his left hand into Domian's ribs. Eventually, he heard a crack.

"AH! You bastard!" Domian yanked his left arm out of the old man's ferocious grip, nearly tearing his arm out of the socket. Now his arm and ribs were hurt. "You think that's gonna be enough? Come on, who do you think you're dealing with? I have been blessed with God's power!"

"God? Are you still going on about that?" Grey gaffed. "This power you got, was from a fruit that you ate, right?"

"And what of it?" Domian spat.

"They're called Devil Fruits, you twit!"

"Excuse you?"

"These powers… are from the Devil! All over the world, they are called 'Devil Fruits' and are known to be the powers of the Devil himself. Do you really think any god would allow such heretic powers to exist freely? I'm sure you've noticed your weakness to the water?"

Domian's eyes went blank. "How could you know that?"

"That's the affects of the Sea God, the true God, hating you for your greed!"

"Shut up!" Domian began to fire a barrage of needles from each fingertip, ten at a time, and firing at a rapid rate.

Grey saw the attack coming, and rushed back to the trees, diving for cover. _I didn't know he could do that… But then I didn't know he could shoot them out like bullets either until he fired them at Kazuki and Bo… Speaking of, I need to hurry this up._

The metal needles decimated the ground where Grey had been standing, and followed to the tree he was using as cover. He could feel the tree shaking against the impacts. The barrage stopped after a few seconds. Grey turned to look out from behind his tree. Domian was panting. That was good. It meant he couldn't keep up that attack for long.

Grey took the opportunity to jump out from behind his cover and tackle Domian. He landed hard on top of him, knocking the man to the ground and getting his knees locked down on Domian's arms. Grey began to beat into the guy. Each fist landed harshly into Domian's body and face. Again and again. _I need to end this now!_

 _ **BANG!**_

" _ **AGH!**_ _ **"**_

 _Bo._ Grey looked back to the trees where he heard the shout from. _Oh god no. Don't tell me I'm already too late._ Grey turned his head back to look at Domian. The man surprised him with a swift throw by catching his knees under Grey's legs, tossing him over his head and onto his back.

"You should have been paying attention, you washed up has-been." Domian stood up and then kicked Grey in the side. "Get up and fight!"

Grey turned over and coughed. He had let his guard down. He knew that. He got wrapped up in making sure the others were going to be okay, and he lost his own sense of self-preservation. _I can't let that happen again. I need to get up and fight this guy._ Grey pushed himself up. He wasn't going to just lie there on the ground and be beaten. He finally stood up and then readied himself for another round. But before he could throw any punches, his stomach lurched. He fell to his knees and began to vomit. _Oh God. What's happening to me?_

Grey felt intensely sick all of a sudden. His body ached and he began to feel feverish. He knew he was going to be a bit tired from his earlier fight with the townspeople, but there was no way it could have been this bad. _I can't be getting sick. Not here, not now…_

And then he heard Domian talking. "Why do you think I haven't tried to fire another needle at you?"

Grey looked up to the man while his body sank to new lows he didn't realize it could feel. This was worse than any hangover he had ever had. He felt like there was something actually trying to kill him. "How did you…"

"Do you really think you were able to dodge _all_ those needles in that barrage? Do you think you're really _that_ fast? That you're fast enough to dodge an entire barrage that close up? I watched some of them hit you."

 _I'm screwed._

* * *

Bo sat behind the brush, Rebecca sitting patiently in his arms. They were ready to strike against this cultist bastard. _This guy doesn't mess around. Whoever he is, he means business._ He put his eye up to the sight. He watched, carefully, and breathlessly, as the cultist ran back and forth between the trees that led to where Bo was hiding. He baited his prey, letting him think there was no danger. But soon enough, when he was sure the cultist would have to run up past the next tree and jump through the brush towards him, Bo was ready to fire.

The cultist dipped behind the closest tree, too fast to clip while still being careful.

This was close range for Bo. He had to play it right. If he fucked up even the slightest, it would most likely mean his death. So he prepared to pull the trigger once the cultist came out.

But he didn't…

Bo sat patiently for several seconds, waiting for the cultist to run towards him. There was nowhere else to go. But nobody popped their head out from behind the tree, not even a limb or the faint hint that there might be movement.

Bo felt the pain before he heard the gunshot. A bullet tore through his right shoulder and he let out a harsh shout. He was thrown off from his hunched position and Rebecca was flung from his hands as he fell on his back. His right hand clutched his shoulder tightly. It was a bad wound. He knew it wasn't fatal, but it was gonna be enough to seriously fuck him up.

From his back, Bo watched the cultist drop from his perch in the tree above him.

 _So that's why… he climbed the tree because he knew coming out from behind it would mean getting killed. He's a smart bastard, gotta give him that._

The man walked up to him, holding his own rifle up close, aiming for the killshot.

"So this is it, huh? You're actually gonna kill me… Fucking figures."

The cultist cocked his head for a second, seeming to second-guess himself. "What the-?"

Bo saw the look of confusion on the man's face and took advantage of the moment, kicked the man in the shin as hard as he could, knocking him forward to his knees on the ground. At that moment, Bo grabbed the man's rifle with both hands, one bloody, and pulled himself forward off the ground, and then used his momentum to swing the gun across the man's face, throwing him to the ground himself.

The man still hand a deathly grip on his rifle and refused to let go, so Bo leapt for Rebecca and then made a break for it.

The man was up on his own soon, and bullets started whizzing again, all missing.

Bo knew he needed better cover so he went up into the trees himself, mimicking his foe's good skill.

* * *

Halcen jumped into a kick, smashing his knee into Kumajin's face. The beastly man-bear groaned in pain. Halcen was managing to wear down the beast little by little. With his endorphins high, Halcen was alert as he could possibly be. But the bear was winding down.

Kumajin swung again, smashing Halcen in the stomach. While he was still pushed up off the ground, this time it was only by a few feet.

He landed on his back and shouted as he smacked his head. "You fucking monster! I'm going to kill you!" Halcen managed to regain his footing and then rushed again towards Kumajin. He threw a jab into his stomach. But the beast only grimaced. It wasn't enough. _I need to keep doing more damage. He's slowing down, but I'm not doing enough to take him down. I need to do more!_

He threw another jab. And then another.

Kumajin growled, and then smacked Halcen across his head, tossing him aside. "You puny fly! You think that's going to stop me!" He charged at Halcen, this time getting serious. Perhaps he too sensed his own stamina draining and needed to end the fight quickly. Surely he had never been in a fight with someone as experienced. Either way, the monster got serious.

Kumajin landed on top of Halcen, who was on his back on the ground again. This time, Kumajin didn't let him get up and try to fight back. He put his full weight on the man and began to claw vigorously at his body. He scratched as furiously as he could with his long nails, trying desperately to cut into Halcen's body. Halcen's Haki held for the most part, but it was weakening with each bash. The claws themselves couldn't tear into his body, but just the bludgeoning alone was painful. Soon, his protection would fail and the beastly god would tear through his flesh.

"Damn you, impudent mortal! Die!" _I can't die! I can't let Valentina be this monster's sex slave! I can't let Grey and the others down! I WON_ _'_ _T!_ "I… will not… let you… win!" Halcen still could not move. But with everything he had, he redoubled his Haki's strength.

Kumajin kept bashing away, chipping his own claws. Soon, he got frustrated with the fact that he could do no real damage to this mere man. In a desperate attempt to end the fight immediately, he bit down on Halcen's throat and picked him up with his jaw, swinging the man vehemently around like a toy. He grinded as tightly as he could.

Halcen couldn't feel the penetration of the teeth in his neck, but he could feel the sensation of being suffocated. Kumajin was closing his airways. He was going to die of asphyxiation. He could feel his body going numb, and his eyes began to blur. _No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO, NO, NO, NO!_

Halcen struggled for his gun, and finally managed to get his hand on it. He held his arm steady, aiming as best as he could while he was nearly blind. He finally managed to fire off the shot. And it blasted right into Kumajin's left eye.

 _Even gods need eyes._

Kumajin shook in pain, dropped Halcen in a howling anger. This was a pain that remained unimaginable. Halcen, though a pirate he was, still had both his eyes and all his limbs. He had never had such a horrible loss of an important body part. Of all body parts, one was able to hardened and train, the eye was not one of them. It remained a universal weak spot for all men and creatures, divine or tainted.

But Halcen was up on his feet now, and breathing right. He held the pistol tightly in his hand. The functions of his body slowly came back to him. He could finally feel again. He rubbed his neck. Thankfully his Haki had held well enough to keep him from actually being hurt by the strangulation.

 _I think… I know how to beat this guy…_

* * *

Grey was spewing. He had thrown up twice now. His stomach was completely empty but he still felt unbearably fucked up. He could hardly stand up at all. "What the hell… did you do to me?" Grey asked Domian, panicking.

"Some very heavy stuff," Domian answered, mysteriously. "I won't give you a name, but I'm sure you won't need to remember it, since you'll be dead soon."

Grey struggled horrendously to attempt to get up. Each time he tried, he fell back down to the ground, on his hands and knees or his back. The man was having the hardest time trying to fight this off. He hadn't been beaten in a physical fight in all his life that had this kind of effect. This was a poison that was inhibiting all of his functions. His sight was blurred and his limbs were weak. He could hardly even speak properly. He tried to push it all out of his system by puking, but it wasn't enough.

"I suggest you stay down and let it take you. Your time as a warrior has long since passed. You were on your way out anyway," Domian said. "I just moved it along a little faster."

Finally, feebly , Grey managed to get his shaking legs underneath him, and his body upright. He almost collapsed again but caught himself. Near breathlessly, he said "I don't… know… what this is… but… it's not… gonna… stop me!" he stepped forward ferociously. "I will not let some pathetic demon-lover be the end of me!"

"How are you… even standing?" Domian gaped. "You should be one your way out the door, old man! JUST DIE!" Domian tried to throw a punch at Grey, but it was intercepted.

Grey threw up his right arm to block the blow. Then he retaliated with his own. He thrusted his left arm fully in full force toward Domian's stomach. It blasted into his torso with the power of all his might.

Domian doubled over in exploding surprise. He clenched his stomach his both his arms. "How are you doing this?"

"I've traveled these seas for decades, fighting monsters and assholes alike. I have survived plague, poison, blade, bullet, and powers of the divine again and again. I will NOT go down now! This is nothing to me! This is just a bad hangover!" He grabbed Domian by the head and then smashed his right fist into his face, knocking him onto the ground.

Domian laid out flat, trembling on the ground in the dirt and grass.

* * *

Kazuki finally caught up to the cultist sniper. There was a trail of blood leading from tree to tree. He was injured pretty badly, so he was slowing down. Whoever this guy was, he had it in him, that was for sure. _But that moment… I swear…._

The cultist ducked down into a clearing in the forest where there was no light from the moon or any outside sources. They had gotten pretty far from the rest of the others now. Kazuki could only imagine the cultist was trying to find a place to hide while he took care of his wound. As bad as it was, it needed immediate attention. Kazuki could still hear him from way up above in the treetops. He sat quietly and listened.

"This guy is good. He's wasting his talent though. What the fuck is he doing all the way out here?" and then he groaned in pain, surely bandaging the stitches. "What the fuck am I gonna do though? Nobody else it out here to help. I'm losing. This guy is smarter than me..."

 _Bo? There's no way…_

Kazuki slowly moved to get closer, wanting to climb down the tree. He rustled the leaves. He had alerted the man.

"I can hear you out there!"he shouted. But it wasn't Bo's voice that he was hearing. It was the voice of some random man was what threw Kazuki off. _But he acts just like Bo._ Kazuki had a weird feeling.

The sound of a cocking rifle alerted Kazuki.

 _Shit._

A bullet whizzed right past where Kazuki was standing. He had to drop down immediately behind the tree and nearly hurt his knees trying to land this time. His distraction had roughed up the interaction. He should have been ready, but he wasn't.

 _This guy can't even see me, and he's got that good of instincts… but how could it be… Wait, I remember… a needle?_ Kazuki could tell his memory had been tampered with. Everything within a certain timeframe felt muddled. Something had definitely hit him, and he had to be hallucinating. _And if I wasn't the only one that got hit…_

The cultist charged at Kazuki. He could make him out only barley in the darkness. But with as close as they were, it was enough to make out the body and the way it was moving. He had a knife in his right hand ready to go.

 _But if this is… How do I…?_

The cultist lunged at Kazuki. He grabbed the man by the knife arm and wrestled him to the ground. "Don't! Bo!"

"RRAAAAHHH!" The cultist kicked him in the stomach and flung him off himself. "How the fuck do you know my name?" He jumped at Kazuki again and this time got Kazuki down on his back. Bo was trying to stab him in the chest. But Kazuki was able to hold him off from stabbing him because his own shoulder was injured and he couldn't put in a hundred percent strength. Kazuki was pushing back with all his strength.

"BO! Listen, it's me, Kazuki!"

"Don't fucking lie to me, you damn demon worshipper!" Bo pushed harder, and Kazuki could barley resist. Bo was a lot stronger than him, that was always the case.

"I'm not lying! I'm not one of them! I need you to think! We were hit by one of that guy's needles. Domian! He can inject people! He's using hallucinogens to get us to kill each other!"

"What kind of crap is that? Or you're lying to me, and the second I give up, you're gonna turn around and stab me!"

The knife began to dig into Kazuki's chest. It was only just a small cut, but the blood began to pool.

"Bo… please! I know you feel this is off! Trust your instincts. They're always right!"

Bo held the blade for a moment, pondering… and then pulled it back. "Kazuki?"

Kazuki exasperated a sigh of relief. He could feel the pain of the wound he had been inflicted. But it wasn't the worst he had been through. "Yes… it's me." He laid there flat, smiling.

* * *

Halcen began another game of ducking and dodging Kumajin's attacks. He was far from being done with the man, and wanted to kill him with all his might. But the bear-man had little capability to tear through the armor of willpower Halcen had put up against him. This was the only reason Halcen was still alive.

Halcen threw himself against the monster again and again, trying desperately to get a grip against the giant. Each time, Kumajin was able to return with claws and grip far stronger than his own, and then tear Halcen from his body and throw him aside.

"This is boring, you weakling!" Kumajin shouted.

"I agree." Halcen said. "Neither one of us seems to be able to hurt the other. We appear to be at a stalemate. Except…"

"Except?"

"I don't have any weaknesses."

"And I do?"

Halcen dived under the bear Zoan's legs as it rushed towards him once more time. He twisted around and then jumped on the bear's back. The monster roared in annoyance. Halcen dug his feet and legs into the giant as he climbed his way to the head. Halcen wrapped his arms, hardened with the blackening of his Haki, around the grizzly man's neck. He pulled tightly, beginning to choke the beast.

"When you go for what you think are your enemy's weak points, you point out your own. You thought tearing out my neck would help. And you showed me your own weak point in the process."

Halcen continued to tighten his strangle-hold on the would-be god.

The beast squirmed and writhed beneath him. "You punk! Do you think this is going to kill me?" He attempted to scratch Halcen off his body with full slashing claws. "'I'll gut you for this!"

"You've already tried."

Slowly, despite all his struggling, Kumajin started to fall to the ground, and whimpered in a quiet, not cute way. "You fucking pissant." And then his body became limp.


	10. Scramble

**AN: Ten Chapters... finally made it to the double digits. A lot of crazy shit has happened. And we're gonna keep going. :) LOTS more to go. I'm gonna look back one day and go "Oh shit, Chapter 100? Fuck." lol Let's go!**

 **Also... no word yet from my assassin. He... seems to have gone missing. I'm getting worried.**

* * *

Scramble

Domian watched helplessly as his god was taken down by a mere mortal. "My lord! No!"

Grey kicked the man writhing on the ground. "Shut up! You lost. Deal with it." Exerting extra energy on shutting up this guy when Grey himself was so messed up already seemed like a waste, but he felt like he had to do it anyway.

Halcen knelt down next to the laying beast and examined him carefully, to make sure that Kumajin really was out. He was bleeding pretty badly. And he seemed to be breathing very heavily. He was definitely unconscious. Kumajin had been taken care of.

So Halcen turned away and ran to the altar where Valentina was chained down. "Valentina, are you okay?" He unlatched the chains and pulled them off. They clanked against the ground.

Valentina could still barley move because of the toxins coursing through her body. "Halcen!" she shouted in glee. "I'm so glad you're here." Tears streamed from her eyes and down the sides of her cheeks.

"It's okay. We took care of these guys. We can go now. We'll get off this island and get out on the sea where you'll be safe. Everything's going to be okay."

"Thank you… so much." She choked on her words. Her face was red and hot from the trauma, but she was still so beautiful.

Halcen could feel himself getting choked up too, but he forced it back down.

The others began to drag themselves from their fights to the table Valentina was rested on. Bo, Kazuki, and Grey all came to meet them. Bo's right shoulder had a pretty bad wound, Kazuki has a minor cut on his chest, and Grey seemed to be barely able to walk straight. But they were all alive. That was all that mattered. Each of them had made it out of the fight in one piece.

Grey picked up the Devil Fruit that was still laying next to Valentina. "All this trouble over this little thing."

"These guys were on some pretty strong god juice," Bo stated.

"Yeah, I didn't get the sense that they were just screwing around." Kazuki responded.

"Let's not just sit around talking. We took take of them, now let' get the fuck out of here." Halcen started to pick up Valentina from the table.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Domian laughed maniacally from the ground. He looked up at them in cringing pain, not even able to stand.

"What the fuck is so funny?"

"You really think you're out of the woods? You think this is it? You think that's all we got?" While still on the ground, Domian took his one index finger and injected a serum into his own neck. "Now you can see what we're really capable of!" And then they watched the man as he slowly rose up on his legs, standing up straight.

"What the fuck?" Bo asked.

"This guy is crazy." Kazuki pointed out.

"What did he just do?" Halcen added.

"I don't want to find out," Grey sighed. _I should have killed him._

Domian began to walk awkwardly towards the group. Each step was like a lion stalking towards its prey, eagerly awaiting that first delicious bite.

Halcen was in the back, holding Valentina, so Grey stepped in front. He himself was not so fine looking as it was. Each of the four was completely wiped out from their fights. None of them were ready to take this guy on in his hyped up 'roid rage. He was going to hurt them.

Kazuki lifted his pistol quickly, trying to squeeze off a few shots to hit Domian before he was able to do anything. But it was in vain. This man was all kinds of too fast. He dashed over the area in a second and smashed Kazuki's hand, knocking the gun out of his hand. Then Domian swung his right leg into Kazuki's stomach and he flew through the air, back toward their group. Kazuki dropped to the ground like a fly, groaning in pain.

"Stay down, you punk!" Domian stood back, looking around at his own crew that had been maliciously disposed of by Halcen's group. The bullet fire, beating, and stabbings they had sustained were quite severe. Domian grimaced. There were only handful actually still alive, but they would have to do. He raised his hands over them in the air. And suddenly needles flung about the area, coating his fallen comrades. Multiples hit each and every man that lay there.

"Rise up my army! Rise up and protect your Lord! Kumajin has fallen and he needs your assistance!"

Groans and hateful spews of the men they thought they had defeated echoed throughout the area, mimicking each other like a pack of ravenous beasts themselves.

"I will give no quarter to any who refuses to fight to the death! Take down the infidels!"

"Infidels?" Bo asked, surprised.

 _That's a bit harsh._

And the Devil's army rose, all except the dead. The cultists stood up from their places of rest. They had been defeated, each of them. And impossibly, they were standing, regardless of broken bones, blood loss, or other injuries. They stood up, an army, amassed in evil, ready to fight.

Grey and the others got ready.

Domian took the moment to rush to Kumajin, who was laid on the ground still, unconscious. "My Lord! Arise! These heathens are trying to escape with your bride!" When the beast did not stir, Domian began to get frustrated. "Surely, you are still alive. Don't tell me this mere man actually got the better of you! GET UP!" Domian again blasted multiple needles, this time into Kumajin's resting body. Whatever it was, worked fast, because the creature began to move.

"Halcen, get Valentina out of here!" Bo shouted as he raised up a knife to fight off the demons. "We'll hold them off!"

"You can't fight! You're the most injured!"

"I'll be fine! Shut up and get out of here!"

Halcen looked to Grey, and then to Kazuki. They both gave him a nod.

 _Fuck._

He looked down to Valentina, who was lying in his arms. She was scared. She was trying to hold on with all her might, but she had very little strength. She didn't say anything; she was putting her trust in him. That made Halcen uneasy.

 _Fuck._ "Alright, let's go." He gripped her tighter and then turned to run out of the area into the woods.

But Domian was on him in a second. "Oh, no you don't! We searched for her for years! I will not let you take Lord Kumajin's bride from us! SHE WILL BE OURS!" Then he struck Halcen in the legs with his own leg, knocking Halcen to his knees.

"Halcen!" Valentina cried as Domian wrestled her out of Halcen's grip.

Domian then kicked Halcen in the face, knocking him down to the ground.

Kumajin was up, and he was roaring for blood. The great beastly lord stood staring Halcen down. His one eye was in a bloodied clot, but he was still menacing.

Halcen's body clenched in fear. He knew he wasn't going to be able to fight this creature again, but he was going to die trying.

"My Lord! The woman!" Domian shouted as he ran towards him.

Kumajin came to claim his prize from his underling.

"Take her and the God Fruit, and we'll head to my lab!"

Kumajin slung Valentina over his shoulder and grabbed the strawberry from the altar, and then dashed back into the forest, Domian with him.

"HALCEN!" She cried, reaching out for him as they disappeared into the dark of the brush.

"VALENTINA!" Halcen stood back up and began running towards the forest after them. But he was caught by one of the cultists who were pumped up by Domian's needles.

"Not so fast!" the man chuckled. "We're not letting you guys get away!"

Halcen was exhausted. And his Armament Haki had faded. He tried his best to make his body shield up again, but he was losing it quickly. He was barely even able to coat only his hand as he smashed it into the man's face. "Get out of my way!"

The punch didn't do nearly enough. These cultists were physically and mentally apt in the first place. But now that Doctor Domian had given them their vitamins, they were going to be a nightmare. Halcen couldn't hit hard enough to take them down in one shot. And there were at least a dozen of them. _This is going to take forever._ "VALENTINA!" he shouted in desperation. "I'LL COME FOR YOU!"

He could hear her screaming from the distance. They were already too far gone. He wasn't going to catch up. He was going to have to find them the hard way. _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._

Halcen charged at the man in front of him and knocked him to the ground. Halcen began to beat the shit out of him. One punch, two punch. Only his hands were coated in Haki and it wasn't doing enough. He kept pounding on the man until blood sprayed across his clothes. "You fucking piece of garbage!"

* * *

Grey was so exhausted he could barely move. He had already had two fights. His hope was that this would all be over. _I just want to get out of here._ He was familiar with Domian's powers and his ability to amp up his allies. He had created a monstrosity out of the townspeople that Grey, Bo, and Kazuki had been forced to kill. They hadn't had the ability to speak though. They were mindless powered up drones. But these new enemies, the cultists, were already capable. Now, they were just stronger and faster, and they were willing to die for their Bear God. _And whatever Domian did to himself made it look like I never touched him._

One of the men rushed at Grey. Grey was so sore from both fights already, that he was going to try to use as little of his own energy as he could. He grabbed the man by the collar, and using his own momentum, continued to swing him past Grey and threw him into the ground.

Another of the men came at Grey from behind, trying to get his arms around him. Grey swung around quickly, swiping his arms outward, breaking the man's grip, and then kicked him in the chest, knocking him back into the man who was trying to get up that Grey had just thrown down.

 _This never ends._

* * *

Bo and Kazuki had to fight side by side. Bo had a severely injured shoulder so he could barely even use any weapons. But Kazuki was more or less okay. He was hurt across the chest, but it was only minor. It was still bleeding, so he had to take it easy to make sure he wasn't going to open it any more. The two of them together made up for their individual lapses.

A guy came running towards them, holding two knives. He swung first his right at Bo, who threw up his left arm to block the man at his wrist.

The man countered by slicing towards them with his left arm next.

Kazuki responded, blocking him with his own arms. They had him wide open. Kazuki thrusted his left arm into the man's face. And Bo kneed him as hard as he could manage in the stomach with his right leg. The man flew back with a broken face and a loud yelp. His attempt to hurt them had been foiled.

They had more incoming too.

* * *

Halcen jumped up to meet another two men who came at him. One had a heavy two-handed sword, and the other had a pistol. Halcen knew immediately he had to take out the pistol man. But they were working as a team to take him down, so the man with the sword came at him up front and the man with the gun was way in the back, aiming and ready to fire.

Halcen couldn't keep up his Haki to be bulletproof, so he was in real trouble. The man with the pistol fired one off before Halcen moved, clearly overeager and trying to end things quickly. Halcen jumped to the man with the sword, who was slow to swing. That was good. It gave Halcen a small edge. Larger blades were harder to control, which was why he mainly used a knife himself.

Halcen clashed with the man, his knife parrying off the man's long blade and was able to deflect himself from the blow, turning around to the man's back. He was slow to come back with a swing. So Halcen took the extra moment to line up his left arm, ready to fire at the other guy. He didn't see it coming. Halcen still had the gun Kazuki had lent him. He wasn't ready for it.

The man took a bullet to the stomach and fell to his knees in pain. He surely wasn't going to stay down, but he was down for enough time for it to matter.

Halcen swung around and slashed along the swordsman's back with his blade.

The man turned across with a hard slash where Halcen's head had just been. Luckily for Halcen, he wasn't there anymore. Halcen ducked down and swung across the man's thighs, cutting deep into them, cutting off his balance and making him fall to the ground on his knees too. He couldn't lift the sword to fight from down there. So Halcen took his knife and jammed it into the side of the man's neck. Blood spurted everywhere. It was another messy kill under Halcen's belt. And he knew there would be plenty more to come.

 _I'm not done yet!_

He stood behind the body as the man with the pistol tried to aim at him. A bullet dug itself into the meatshield and Halcen took off running as hard as he could on his battered legs. He made contact with the shooter before he was able to get sights on him again. The knife jammed into the guy's stomach and Halcen twisted it, bleeding out the pig.

He cried out in agony. And as his life faded, he whispered to Halcen "Long live Kumajin." And then he feel to the ground, bleeding all over the dirt and grass.

"No. Your god is next on my list."

* * *

After the battle had wound down, and their foes were nil in might, Halcen scanned the field. Not all of their enemies had died in the fight. Some had been beaten down badly enough that they didn't need killing. They roiled on the ground in agony, praying for Kumajin to save them, or for their own deaths.

Halcen took the moment to confer with his cohorts. "Grey, can you sense Kumajin?" Halcen knew Grey was better with Sensory Haki than he was. One of the many great things about the old man.

Grey took a few moments to try to feel out the presence of the Bear God that had run rampant. "No, I can't tell where they are. I'm too tired. I can barely feel out the immediate area."

"If we can find him, we should be able to take him."

"Why do you say that?"

"He's bleeding. He's weak."

"So are we." Kazuki pointed out. "We can't just go off chasing after them."

"We don't have a plan. And not having a plan is what got us into this mess in the first place," Grey pointed out.

Halcen felt his arm hand throb. He looked down. _This is the price I paid for being careless._ Halcen nodded slowly. "You're right. I'm sorry. I got us all in this mess by being impatient. The only thing I got by leaving early was captured. They didn't start to try anything until you were already almost here. How did you find me anyway?"

"Same way you found her."

"So what do you think they're going to do with her?" Kazuki asked, still unsure.

"I heard him say something about a bride?" Bo mentioned.

"Yeah… they were going to make her Kumajin's bride," Halcen answered.

"Bride? To a God?"

"He's not a god," Kazuki pointed out.

"No, he's a Zoan," Halcen spat.

"So that's what that shit was," Bo sighed. "Devil Fruits. Fucking hell, man. The craziness never stops."

"Yeah, but they think these fruits make them gods. Domian had one too. Must have been a paramecia," Halcen said.

"Yeah… he's got some weird powers," Grey confirmed.

"So, what are we going to do about them? They escaped with Valentina."

"And the fruit," Grey said.

"We're gonna find out where they went," Halcen said. "And then we're going to kill them."

"How?"

"This place has all kinds of weapons and shit. We can put something together to kill them. Maybe we can force them into the ocean. I don't know for sure yet. First, we have to figure out where they are and stake the place out. They'll likely go somewhere to lick their wounds."

"A lab," Bo said quietly.

"What's that?" Halcen asked not quite hearing him.

"Domian… said to go to his lab."

"A lab?"

"It makes sense," Grey said. "They'd likely have a place where they can easily work with his powers. He said he creates the mixtures he uses himself."

"So he's gotta have a safe place to experiment in." Halcen said. "So we'll find this lab."

"How?"

Halcen looked around once more at the grizzly scene. "We extract the info from these guys." He nodded his head towards the bodies. Dead pieces of fallen foes were scattered all over the place. Halcen picked out two of the living cultists from the bloody mess; the most well preserved two that seemed the most alive. "We'll kill the rest."

They dragged the two cultists away from the scene, and in their view, as they were being handled, they watched the brutal slaughter of the rest of their fellow worshipers. Kazuki and Bo put a bullet in the head of each of the survivors. They were dead instantly.

When their captives began to struggle, Halcen and Grey knocked them out.

One man woke up with his body tightly bound. What was holding him, he could not be sure. He looked around after finally being able to open his eyes to find himself chained to the same cross that he had helped Domian chain the man who had intruded on their party earlier that night. He looked up to see that same man, sitting across from him on the same altar where they were going to sacrifice the woman to Kumajin. The man was coated with blood, but not his own. "What's going on?" he roared. "What are you doing?"

"I need to know where Domian's lab is."

The man looked panicked. He hesitated. "What lab?"

"You're a bad liar." He stood up and cracked his knuckles. "We know Domian has a lab where he experimented with his powers. Where is it?"

"Why would I know something like that?"

"Because you're all a bunch of freaks that have a sick and twisted bond, serving the same tyrannical monstrous master."

"Like you're one to talk!" he shouted angrily. "You have all left waves of blood in your wake. Just look at you! How many did you kill for the blood all over you? Hm? Who's really the monster here?"

"You took my friend. We didn't have a choice. You did."

"Do you really think any of us had a choice? On this island, we serve or we die."

"Why not just leave? If it's really so horrific?"

"We don't get to leave. Those that try, die. They know everything. Everything. They'll find out I'm alive. And if they find out I talked, everyone I care about will die too. That's how it works here. We don't get a choice. We're slaves."

"Hmmmm… well that's not what you're friend seemed to think."

"Friend?"

"The man chained to your other side. He screamed all kinds of things… like how devoted you all are to each other, how repulsive people like us are to you, how much you care about Kumajin… He told me to go to hell, so I killed him… very slowly."

He tried to glance around the side of the pedestal, but he couldn't get his neck craned all the way around like that. He assumed Halcen was telling the truth. He had been taken along with another. It would only make sense that they would be chained together. "Yeah, well… some of them really buy into it. And why wouldn't they? The way Kumajin runs things, the devoted are rewarded. But many serve out of fear. I never bought into it. And all the women they made us kill cause they didn't fit his perfect desires? They're all insane!"

"So if you hate them so much, why don't you just tell me where they are? I could let you go."

"I can't. Because even if you do find them, you'll still die."

"I was able to beat him once."

"I saw. That was barely what I'd call a win. You haven't seen him go all out. Nor Domian. Their power is… godly."

"You're serious?"

"They don't stop after one small defeat. How many men like you do you think have come and gone before you? They all tried and died."

"So others have beaten him before?"

"If that's what you call 'beat,' sure. And then he comes back stronger, and murders everyone left. You're all still alive. I'd leave if I were you."

"I can't. I promised to keep her safe."

"A lot of promises are made that are broken. You'll be alive. If you fight him, you die. And then they come for me and everyone I care about. If I'm the only one of us left alive, they'll know. I can't risk that."

"I didn't want to do this again, but I guess you give me no choice…" Halcen picked up the knife that was sitting on the altar next to him. It was drenched in blood as well.

"What are you going to do with that?" The man asked.

"The same thing I did to your friend. I just hope that you do your part."

"And what would that be?"

"Break."

The man gulped.

Halcen stepped forward. "I never enjoyed doing this. But living the life of a pirate, sometimes you have to do some horrible things to get by. I've gotten pretty good over the years… at making people cooperate."

"Please don't."

"Then tell me what I need. Tell me where the lab is," he said, coldly.

"I can't."

"What is it you people don't understand? It's not them you should be scared of anymore. It's me. I'm the one here to kill you." And then Halcen began. "It's too bad… you were a good looking guy. I can't say the same for your friend. He was an ugly fucker. Maybe that's why he didn't talk."

Halcen brought the knife up to the man's arm. It was held tightly in place, horizontally across from his head. Halcen dug the knife down and then slowly cut across the underside of his skin.

The man screamed out in pain. "OH MY GOD! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?"

"I'm gonna skin you piece by piece. Either you'll die from shock, or get an infection. Or… you could talk."

"Please stop!"

"No." Halcen continued. His knife flayed under the small strip of skin. It went a few inches before he tore the entire piece off.

The man grunted in pain.

"That was just a small one. The first one was just a warning. Then next one will be much worse. And then it will continue to get worse." Halcen's eyes were wild, like a rogue animal, lost its sanity long ago.

"Don't, please," he begged.

"You know what you need to do." Halcen tore apart the man's shirt to get a bigger, better patch of skin. He was well built, so it was going to be much easier to get nice, even cuts. "Yes, this will work very well."

He started with the side, just under the armpit. Halcen sliced slowly. The blade and his hands were wet with blood. Each small inch drew more. He was afraid of fucking it up. But then, would that have been so bad? After all, this man was protecting the monsters that took Valentina. Why not hurt him in unimaginable ways?

He had gotten used to the screaming. Feeling how much pain this man was in… intense.

Halcen continued until the patch came clean off. It was much larger. It covered the entire left side of his ribs, almost a foot long and a few inches wide. The meat covering the bones was completely exposed. "I can keep going as long as you need."

"You don't understand these people," he cried out.

Halcen grabbed the cultists face and stared him in the eyes. "No. _You_ don't understand _me_!"

And then the man began to cry.

"Halcen," Grey called him.

Halcen turned to see Grey. He was standing off to the side.

"Over here." He nodded his head in the opposite direction. He needed to talk, apparently.

"Fine. We'll take a break," Halcen told the man, and then set the knife back down on the altar. He walked over to Grey, and they strolled out of earshot. "What's going on?" he whispered.

"I think this has gone far enough. It needs to end."

"I agree. This whole cabal has been nothing but trouble. They're all defending each other to the death. They run this island with fear and hurt whoever gets in the way."

"What… no. That's not what I meant. I meant, you're torturing this man, and he hasn't told you a single thing."

" _Yet_." Halcen corrected him. "He hasn't told me anything, _yet_. Doesn't mean he's not going to."

"And how far are you willing to go? Look at you. How far down the wrong path do you need to go before you can be satisfied that you're not going to get anything? The other one didn't tell you anything, and you cut him apart, piece by piece. Now he's dead, hanging there, rotting away, just like Lenny."

"Are you comparing me to the monsters that killed Lenny?"

"No. I'm just saying… have you seen yourself? You're unraveling."

"And you would rather I do nothing?"

"No. I just… I don't want to see you cross a line that you can't come back from."

"Well somebody has to be willing to cross that line, Grey. And you can't do it, can you?"

Grey looked uncomfortable.

"That's what I thought. We don't have any other plays right now. We don't know shit about this island, we can't sense him, the blood trail went cold, and we have no other ideas. What else do you propose we try? Cause I'm all ears."

Grey stood there, unsure of what to do.

"Then I'm gonna get back to it." And Halcen turned back to the man who he had strung up on the opposite side of the gory mess that used to be his friend. He picked the knife back up and began to toy with it. "Alright. I'm done wasting my time warming up. I'm gonna start on your face now. That's a tricky area, though. So, I can't promise the cuts will be as smooth, with all those curves and important pieces and whatnot. Who knows what could happen."

"Okay," the man gasped.

"Okay? As in….?"

"I'll tell you." He was tired and needed it to stop.

"Good. Tell me, where is the lab?"

"He likes to hide out… on the other side of the island, past the town. Way up the hill, there's a building there. It's kept hidden from the townspeople. Nobody but us knows it's there."

"You're not lying to me are you?"

"What would be the point?"

Halcen nodded. "Fair." Halcen turned around to set down the knife. "Thank you," he said.

And then, as Halcen was about to unbind the chains, the man stopped him. "Don't."

"Why?"

"I need you to kill me."

Halcen froze.

"They'll find out. And I don't want anybody else to get hurt. So please, kill me."

Halcen gulped. He picked up the knife again. "Thank you."

"Just… make them pay."

Halcen nodded. And then he plunged the knife into the man's heart. Halcen could hear his gurgling as he died quickly. Blood spilled down his tattered chest. And then his eyes went dark and his head went limp. He was gone.

Halcen turned from the gory scene, cleaned off the knife, sheathed it, and went to talk to the others. "I know where they're going to be. Let's go take care of this, once and for all."


	11. Author's Note

**Hey guys,**

 **I wanted to let you know that the next chapter is gonna take me some time. I'm going through a lot right now and don't have the time or energy to finish the chapter. I'm in a pretty shitty situation at home so I'm working on trying to find myself a new place to live. My own well being needs to come first. But I do want you to know, I'll be back as soon as I can. I'm not going to abandon the story. Halcen and his crew will be back.** **H** **opefully this won't take more than a couple weeks. Thank you all for your support thus far and I hope you understand.**

 **Love you,**

 **Supremator.**


	12. I'm Back Motherfuckers!

Hello good townspeople! Or… worldspeople! Lol whichever one you prefer XD I am back! Yes, that's right… The amazing Supremator has returned to continue his mission for world domination… er… I mean bringing joy and happiness to everyone… Yes… That's what I meant…

No, but seriously… I have finally settled into a new home with a nice older lady I seem to get along with very well. I've been getting acclimated. With work as heavy as it's been lately, I've had less time to really do much other than veg out when I get home. But I have a proper desk now so I figured it was time to return to the Black Ranks and Captain Avarik Halcen. I have done a decent amount of thinking and planning for the rest of the series while on my hiatus. So I'm excited to bring you guys all I have to offer.

I do want to say thank you guys for the support. I saw a lot of new views, favs, follows, and Mizuchi's note. Thank you so much! I really appreciated that. I was/am going through some stuff in this transition, so it might take me a little while longer to put out these chapters than once a week like before. I want to make sure I'm not just tossing them out without really giving it the attention it deserves. I honestly feel like I kinda slumped off a little. But I'm gonna do my best for you guys now.

I'll be working on the new chapter for Black Ranks. Our last scene had Kumajin and Domian fleeing across the island with Valentina in tow. Halcen has gone a bit dark and now he's got a destination. More to come soon. We will get our climax for the Bear Island arc, and I hope you will enjoy it!

Love you guys!

Thanks again!

Supremator.


	13. The Fruits Of Labor

**AN: SOOOOO I finally finished this fucking chapter. Took me longer to than I wanted because I got sick... but still... I did it. :) And I am happy with it. So I hope you guys enjoy it.**

 **I do need to make a shoutout to my buddy Viryion. My real life best friend that introduced me to this site lol and has been helping me with story-ideas and editing. He's been very helpful. So thanks buddy!**

 **AND as for the ownership of One Piece... sadly my hiatus was for naught, being that I went to see Oda and ask for it... he said no... butthole. But for real... love the guy and his stuff. :)**

 **Anyway... enjoy the chapter! Love you!**

* * *

The Fruits Of Labor

The night had finally broken and the dawn was gleaming across the horizon when the Black Tail pulled up to the eastern shore of the island. Captain Avarik Halcen stood patiently waiting for his ship to board. His first mate, Grey, sat on the grass, trying to relax for a few moments before the next step. Their new friends and temporary supporters, Kazuki and Bo, had taken to cleaning their weapons, an important but underrated task. The group had been through a long, dreadful, tiring night, but there was still much work to do.

The tall, dark-skinned woman, Loyola, stood at the helm of their ship, guiding it gently into the shallows where they would meet the others. She looked quite comfortable being in the spot, but she knew it was only until Valentina was returned. Jory stood below, looking eager for his next part. Bailu sat impatiently, his face already twisted up with agitation, but nobody had the time to pay him any mind. They were all clearly exhausted. This emergency trip to this cursed island had taken its toll on each one of them.

They pulled in, and Jory tossed down the anchor.

"Is everything finally done?" Halcen asked Bailu.

"Ya damn right it is. I may be old, but I can still work my fingers bloody."

Loyola chimed in, annoyed by Bailu's complaining. "We worked all through the night. The repairs are complete. The Black Tail is ready to sail, Captain." She looked around the area, her face sank in clear disappointment. "Valentina?"

Halcen looked down in shame. "They got away… but we know where they're going."

"So we're heading out?" Jory asked.

"Not yet," Halcen answered the young soldier. "We have a couple things to do here first."

Halcen, Grey, Jory, Bo, and Kazuki scavenged the encampment. Jory and Kazuki had to take it a bit easier, being that they were wounded. Kazuki had taken a decent gash to his chest from Bo's knife in their fight, and Jory was still recovering from his fight against the Anosmia Pirates. He was much better by now, but his overexertion from fighting the townsfolk had cut into his recovery. The rest of them were fine enough to go without much grief.

This camp was where Kumajin, Domian, and their cultists had been preparing for the previous night's festivities. Thankfully, their plans had been derailed, but Valentina had still been taken. She had so far avoided the modification of the Devil Fruit that they had tried to force on her in order to transform her into a goddess... but that threat lingered. She hadn't gotten out of harm's way yet, and that was at the forefront of Halcen's mind. And he had a plan to fix it.

There was plenty in the camp they found that could aid them. They stowed all the random odds and ends on the ship with quite a bit of cursing. The load was rather large, the idea was complex, and it was going to take a long time to set up. With the weigh down from all the excess items, the Black Tail sank lower in the water, and they knew it was going to take longer to get to their destination. That didn't mean, however, that it was going to be a waste of the trip.

After exhausting themselves in mental and physical prep, they were ready to set off. The crew boarded the ship. Loyola called out from the helm. "To port, Captain?"

Halcen already had the plan together. "No. There's too much risk going straight for the port. We'll sail around the northern edge of the island. That way we can come at them from behind. They won't see us coming."

The trip around the island was going to take some time, so Halcen encouraged each of the crew to eat something and get some rest. They were all so exhausted and needed to recharge and refuel. Grey took the time to whip up some eggs and ramen. It wasn't big, but it was enough to make them feel better.

"Wow, this is really good for such a simple dish," Kazuki pointed out.

"Oh yeah, Grey's a big foodie," Halcen pointed out. "He's really good at this stuff."

"It's been a long time," Grey admitted. "But once we have a little more money, I'd like to try to some new stuff. I want to try getting back into it."

"Damn, if this is any indication of what you can do with more complex stuff, I'm sad I'm not gonna be around to try it," Bo said, scarfing down the bowl without manners.

Grey chuckled. "Yeah. But that's still a ways down. We've got a lot to do first."

"Too damn much," Bailu bitched. "I'm tired of this shit." He stood up from the group sitting on the deck. "I'm turning in," he said as he walked off. "Don't wake me!"

They all watched him, shaking their heads, or cursing him under their breath. Bailu was one of those miserable old men that you just wish would die because he brought everyone else down with him. But in those cases, it did little to ever actually point out how annoying they were because it would only cause them to bitch some more.

"Fucking asshole," Halcen cussed.

"Just leave him be," Grey said. "We won't have to deal with him forever. Once we can get our own shipwright, we can get rid of him."

"Can we ditch him on an empty island?" Jory pleaded.

"Yeah, nobody would miss him," Bo laughed.

"Yeah…" Halcen shrugged. "I'm gonna turn in too," he said, standing up. He just couldn't deal with the joking right now. There was too much on his mind.

One by one, the group shrank as they each took their turn trying to get some sleep. Loyola and Jory took turns navigating. They were the least needed in combat - other than the crotchety old man who wouldn't give them his time - so they took the least of anything.

When finally the sun was almost fully overheard, the crew began to rise and shine with it. Halcen gathered them all out on the deck. They were staring at the north shore of the island. There was a small beach but then it jutted up into harsh rocky hillside. They were going to have to climb it to get to the lab.

"Alright, everybody," Halcen started. "We all know the plan. Grey and I will go up to the lab and the rest of you will prepare for our return. You all remember your parts?"

Bo nodded.

"Got it," Kazuki stated.

"Yeah, yeah," Bailu whined.

"We got this," Jory added.

"No worries on our side," Loyola told them. "You go in there and bring back Valentina."

"Will do."

The two men loaded up their packs, slung them on their backs, and ditched the ship. Their feet hit the sand and they took a moment to look up at the cliff they were about to climb. Most of the rocks at the bottom were stacked in a way that they could climb with minimal effort. But towards the top, it became much more smooth and steep.

Halcen gulped.

"Are you sure we have to do this?" Grey asked.

"Not scared of heights are you?"

"Well… I mean… not scared… just a healthy caution."

Halcen shook his head and chuckled. "Alright, let's go."

And so they began their ascent. At first, the climb was quite easy. They were able to jump from level to level without much strain. Their packs battered against their backs in discomfort the entire time, but it wasn't enough to throw them off, only an annoyance they were forced to deal with. They did their best to not look down for fear of falling, but wouldn't let that fear stop them from continuing. They were too focused. They had a mission. Rocks and heights wouldn't stop them.

They finally got to the top of the layer they were able to climb by their own labor. The rock suddenly got extremely steep. This was where they took out their packs. Inside, they had ropes and hooks. Among all the stuff they had taken from the encampment of the Kumashinja, they had been able to jerry-rig some grappling hooks. This was going to get dangerous.

Grey and Halcen took turns attempting to throw up their hooks. It was more difficult to gain a solid grip of them and they had to retry a couple times until they were sure they were going to hold steady. They didn't have any safety gear, but they were sure they'd be alright. They had been pretty lucky thus far. So they began to climb, up the steep slopes of the rocky hillside.

It was a ways up, and they were sweating and heavy with tire. This was Halcen's first time needing to climb in such a way. So he was unsteady, and he lost his footing suddenly. He let out a yell as his feet slipped off the rock face and the rope pulled tight around his upper body. It was tied around his waist and wrapped around his arms. Suddenly, all his weight was being supported by his arms. He held tight for dear life.

"Halcen!" Grey called out. "Are you okay?" he asked with worry.

"I'm… fine…" Halcen grunted, clearly straining himself.

"Do you need me to come down there?" Grey started to move slowly back down towards Halcen. But he wasn't in the best situation either.

"No! Stay there!" Halcen ground his teeth as he spoke, and then began to pull himself back up with his muscles barely maintaining their positions. "I… can… do it." His tightened his abs and lifted his legs up until they were in front of him. He dug them into the wall in front of him again and again until they finally found grip again. He put his weight back into them and sighed with relief. "See?" he huffed. "I got it."

Grey looked worriedly at Halcen. "You sure got this?"

Halcen looked up at Grey and they locked eyes. Fury and determination flared in his emerald eyes. There was no doubt. "Absolutely."

Grey just shook his head and returned to his climb. "Let's go then."

After much struggle, they finally found themselves at the top of the hill, where they were enshrouded in shrubbery and trees. There was so much green around them that they felt very comfortable in the idea of not being seen. Though, with it, they themselves could not see much.

But they had Haki, or at least, the best that they could do with it with their current physical and mental conditions. They had taken rest and eaten while on the ship, sure, but it was nowhere near enough to recover fully. The two of them had been through some seriously tough trials in only a matter of days.

They moved slowly, trying not to make any excessive noises or set off any possible traps. Not sensing anyone nearby, they pushed on through the shrubbery and found themselves standing at the top of a gorge. From there, they could see quite far. Around the side, maybe a mile down, was a cabin at the very top of a cliff. From there, it was easy to see the town it looked down on, cut wholly into the side of the mountain. That cabin was what they were after. This was supposed to be Domian's lab.

"Kinda rundown looking for a lab, don't you think?" Halcen asked.

Grey nodded. "Indeed."

"Does this feel like a trap to you?"

Grey nodded again.

"But that guy was willing to die to give us this information. It wouldn't make sense that he was trying to trap us."

"So maybe it's not him trying to trap us. Maybe Domian and Kumajin are ahead of us."

"That would make sense. This island seems pretty remote, being that they don't even know what Devil Fruit are… so it's possible they just don't have the tech available for a proper lab."

"But what if it is a trap?"

"Well then that would be interesting."

"What do you want to do?"

"We have to follow through. We have no other options. They took Valentina somewhere and this is our only lead thus far."

"Alright, let's go."

So the two began walking towards the wooden shack on the far end of the gorge. There was a pretty easy path along the top of the cliff that curved around the edge. They continued along the way until they stood a small distance from the shack. It wasn't grandiose, but it was quite a bit larger than it had first seemed from afar. It was still plainly a rundown wooden hut, but it was a good twenty feet high at least, and around fifty long. They could only imagine what was in there. It didn't appear to have any holes in the walls or anything like that, but it was definitely old and seemed a bit unstable. It looked as if they had spent some time trying to maintain its structural integrity.

They found the door by circling around the building. It seemed it only had the one entrance. And it was up at the end of a path that led down the hill to the town. Halcen stood for a moment in hesitation.

"Should we knock?" Grey asked.

Halcen looked at him like he was an idiot. "Now is not the time."

Grey just shrugged it off. "So we just go in then?" he asked quietly.

"I guess so." He grabbed the handle and pushed in, and they both stepped inside the hut.

And it seemed much worse on the inside than it was on the outside. There was a musky smell, counters lining the walls and scattered throughout the floor that were covered in papers and untidy lab equipment. It all seemed very low-budget and chaotic. It was all one big open room, and when they looked across it, there was Kumajin and Domian.

Kumajin's eye was closed tightly from his wound, but it looked like it had been tended to. Domian was a "scientist" after all. His Devil Fruit must have been helpful with certain healing qualities. And Domian himself seemed no worse for wear.

"The heathen and his old man friend," Domian cursed.

"The mongrel and his pet human," Halcen spat.

Behind them, on the counter, was Valentina. She was laid there, unconscious again. Halcen tensed up, terrified.

"What did you do to her?" Halcen demanded.

"You mean… did we give her the God Fruit?" Kumajin growled. "No… not yet. She hasn't come out of her nap yet."

"We were just about to wake her," Domian told them. "But being that you've interrupted us again, I guess I'll have to take care of you two first."

"We were able to beat you both once, why not again?" Halcen's face twitched in rage. "We're going to kill you both here and take Valentina back."

Kumajin took a step back, even though they were all the way on the opposite side of the room. "No, you will not."

"My Lord," Domian intervened. "You need to get out of here, now! Take the girl and get her to eat the Fruit. Once she is yours, they won't be able to take her. And take this as well." He reached over and handed a needle with a vial on it to Kumajin.

"What is this?"

"It's new serum I've been working on. It will give allow you to ascend even further past the God you are now. Your powers will be tenfold!"

Halcen and Grey shared nervous glances.

Halcen wasn't going to wait. He shot off across the room trying to stop him. But he was too late. Kumajin jammed the needle into his thick, furry arm, and the serum went in. Halcen stopped short, horrified. What then transpired before them was a display beyond disturbing.

Kumajin could feel the pain scorching through his body as the transformation began. He groaned in agony as his body morphed. His skeleton grew to three times its size, his bones feeling as if they might snap from the pressure. His skin was stretched with it and he was afraid it would tear to ribbons. The lush brown fur he was so proud of grew dark with blood. And his snout and paws grew to monstrous sizes. His growth continued until he was too large to fit in the cabin anymore and his body pushed on the wooden plank walls until they burst, bringing in the light from the outside.

The transformation ceased, and now the beastly Bear God Kumajin was over forty feet high. His body couldn't support the giant height, so he drew down to all fours outside the cabin to hold his new weight, the ground shaking as he stepped. "What… is this?" He roared in a harsher, deeper, demonic voice.

"This, My Lord, is your newfound power. An ascension beyond God!"

Kumajin sniffed about, attuning himself to his new prowess. His fearsome form threatened Halcen, when he was doing absolutely nothing at all. "This power! I… am… invincible!"

"Yes!"

"Oh no," Halcen gasped.

"All my years of work have finally paid off!" Domian exclaimed.

"Yes, you have done well, Domian!"

"Anything for you, my Lord!" He kneeled before the newly powered up, 'roided out supergod.

"Now," Kumajin turned to Halcen, staring the little human down with his beast eyes. They pierced him and shook him. Halcen wavered. "It's time to deal with these cockroaches."

Halcen gulped.

Grey stood, unable to move. This, they had not expected when they had chased the duo across the island. They had indeed gotten the drop on them, but it had proven useless. By scaring them, they had provoked a fearsome turn of the tide. Now, they were screwed.

Kumajin pondered. "How best to torture you two? You have taken much from me: my eye, my army, my hold on this island, and are attempting to take my wife as well. So… before I kill you, I will take everything from you as well."

Halcen shook with rage.

"First, I'll go down to the dock and tear apart your ship and crew, and then I'll make the woman eat the God Fruit, and then I'll come back and kill the two of you slowly."

Halcen stared down Kumajin with beading hate in his eyes. "I… won't… let you!" Halcen took a step forward, struggling to overcome the miasma of fear that penetrated his body.

Kumajin laughed haughtily at the tiny man. He knew there was no real threat. "Now, Domian?" he called, turning back to his servant.

"Yes, My Lord?"

"Can you hold them both here?"

"Of course." Domian bowed his head. "Now, please, sire, take your wife and go and deal with the rabble while I deal with these… mortals."

Kumajin swiped up Valentina from her slumbering place, tossed her over his shoulder, turned in the rubble and began to head back towards the town.

 _Not according to plan_ , Halcen thought, almost panicking.

Then, as he stepped forward next to Halcen, not taking his eyes off of Domian, Grey said "Stick to the plan Halcen. You go after Kumajin. We can't let him get away, especially like this. I'll take care of the sidekick."

Halcen swallowed hard. "You're right. We can't lose them." He began to head out towards the new hole in the building, but Domian was suddenly right in front of him.

"You're not going anywhere." He lunged his hand up towards Halcen's neck.

Halcen beat him to it. His body became hardened black in an instant.

Domian's hand almost shattered trying to inject again the diamond-like toughness. He jumped back in agony, groaning. "You think that's going to stop me?"

"I think it might. I have powers that you don't seem to have ever faced. You're not capable of fighting someone like me, are you?"

"You really think that this armor is new to me? Do you realize how many men have come to fight me in my time serving Lord Kumajin? Do you believe that none of them have had abilities of their own? I've studied them and prepared precautions against such abilities." Domian walked back and stood behind a counter.

"If you know other abilities exist besides yours, then how do you reconcile Kumajin being a god?"

"You are not a God because of the power you hold. You become a God because of how you choose to use it. I do not recognize myself as a God, though I ate of the same fruit that transformed my Lord. Do you see? There are many with powers, but only one with the right to call himself 'God.'"

"And you think that's Kumajin? That _mutt_?" Halcen spewed.

"Mutt?" Domian seethed. "He has ascended past mortal constraints. He is not bound by a human body, he does not bleed from mortal weapons, he is infallible in all things. He always rises up again and again to defeat each foe. He will tear you apart the same way he did to the dozens before you. So yes, I believe Kumajin is that God."

Halcen suddenly felt the ground give way beneath his body and he gasped as he was plunged into a tank of cold liquid. He froze in confusion, unsure as to what had happened, but then his brain caught up. This was just regular water, perhaps sea water. Either way… this proved one thing: Domian thought Halcen had a Devil Fruit ability… and that was good news. That also meant that the devotee was not going to like what happened next. Halcen grabbed the ledge of the pool and pulled himself up out of the water, coughing and breathing heavily.

"That was a nice trick," Halcen said sarcastically, faking admiration. "But I'm afraid that wasn't quite the solution you needed."

"What the-?" Domian was bewildered. He couldn't understand why this God-Fruit-using man was standing after being dunked in the seawater. "How are you still conscious?"

"I'm not a fruit user, dumbass." Halcen laughed. "Though, that was a clever trick. If I had been, you would have won that round, and then I would have been a bit easier to detain."

"Then what the hell are you!?" Domian growled.

Halcen stood up in full form, his whole body coated in the black miracle of Haki. "I am the angel of death."

Domian shook with rage. "Whatever you are… do you really think that was my only trick? I've spent _decades_ studying these abilities. Do you really think I'd only have found ONE weakness to them?"

Halcen cocked his head.

And suddenly the whole room imploded with a green gas. It was shot like shotguns from the ground and filled the entire hut, clouding their eyes and forcing them to inhale it. Grey and Halcen coughed profusely.

"Whatever that ability of yours is, it's not going to work anymore," Domian said smugly.

Halcen was knelt down on his knees, coughing harshly. This was not something he expected.

As the billowing cloud of gas dissipated through the giant hole in the back of the building, Halcen saw Domian standing triumphantly. He had taken down two enemies with one swipe. Grey was only having a slightly hard time with it, but whatever it was, prevented Halcen from using his Haki. This was a major problem.

"What the hell is this?" Halcen gaped, trying desperately to get his Haki to return to him, to no avail.

"You got cocky, boy," Domian gloated. "You thought you were invincible with your armor. Well, it doesn't seem to coat the inside your body. I guess that's what happens when you don't think ahead. You were outplayed. And you," he said, stepping in front of Grey. "You were a decent enemy, I suppose."

"But you're not going to kill us…" Grey choked.

"Oh no, you heard my Master. Lord Kumajin wants to take you out himself. Me? I just get to toy with you. After all, I am a scientist. And since you seemed to kill all my servants, I'll fill my time experimenting with you."

Halcen struggled to stand up, his body surged with pain, like lightning was rushing through him. It burned and paralyzed at the same time. His knees slowly pushed himself up and his arms struggled to bend. He ground his teeth through the torturous process.

"Stay down!" Domian shouted, jabbing him in the back.

Halcen felt a needle enter his spine and he immediately collapsed and began to hurl. His stomach lurched again and he nearly passed out. "God damn it!"

"You're still conscious? That's pretty impressive. With everything I've given you so far, you should have passed out."

Halcen looked up at him with gleaming hate in his jaded eyes. He was dripping wet, cold, angry, and in agony. "I'm gonna kill you," he grunted.

"Well… let's see if we can't kill that spirit instead," Domian mocked. His finger jutted out into another needle.

Halcen couldn't move this time. Whatever was coming, he was going to have to take it in full.

Grey was down on the ground to the side, on his hands and knees, staring intently. He was in pain too, but he was able to move. Since Halcen had taken most of the attention to himself, Grey had time to collect himself. He lunged, grappling with Domian. He wrapped his left arm around Domian's neck and grabbed Domian's hand with his own right hand. Then he slowly brought them together. The needle pierced Domian's flesh. Domian went limp and Grey dropped him to the ground on his face.

Halcen looked astonished. "Fucking finally," he sighed heavily.

Grey went to help Halcen up. He grabbed him around the waist and Halcen put his arm over Grey's shoulder. "Let's get out of here and catch up to Kumajin."

Halcen nodded. "This shit should wear off pretty soon."

And as they began to step out towards the open air through the broken mess of the hut, they heard maniacal cackling behind them. They cocked their heads over their shoulders to see Domian was very much awake, standing, and laughing in their faces. "Did you really think that would work? Just how fucking naïve are the two of you? Of all things, you actually believed my _own_ powers would take me out? I've run myself through dozens of different serums and gained an immunity to all poisons. Once again, you two are just the dumbest I've ever met."

Halcen growled in anger. "Just what does it take to take this guy down for good?"

Grey let Halcen stand on his own and they both readied themselves for another round of "Avoid the Mad Scientist."

Domian threw out his hands, fingers up in gun form, and began firing needles at the two. Grey dove across and tackled Halcen to the ground, so he could avoid the hits. Halcen had taken more doses than Grey had this fight, so he was going to be slower, and more than that, a liability. Grey knew for the moment he was going to be the only one actually fighting. He had to keep Halcen out of Domian's reach.

Halcen sat still on the ground, barely able to move. He was tucked behind one of the counters Domian was using for his lab equipment. "Grey, don't worry about me. Just take him out quickly."

Grey nodded and then turned toward Domian. His arms were still up, and aimed at Grey.

"Do you really think you can keep this up? We both know I was able to get you last time. What say you just stop fighting, give up, and let me play with you until Kumajin gets back?" A couple shots fired at Grey at a high rate.

Grey flung himself down into a roll and hid behind one of the counters himself. "Nah… I think I'll pass, but thanks for the offer." He jumped around the end of the counter and leapt up at Domian, trying to get the surprise on him.

He was surprised alright, startled into firing off some random shots. One of them grazed Grey as he tackled Domian to the ground. Grey knew this was going to be close. The needle hadn't entered him directly, but he knew a graze was enough with poison. He just had to pray it took longer than it took him to kill Domian.

He sat upright and began beating Domian with his fists.

Domian just laughed. "Do you think that's enough? Do you think I haven't jacked myself up so much that I can even feel it?" He swiped Grey off of him with a swift arm across his shoulder, tossing Grey aside like he was nothing.

Grey banged into the wall with a loud grunt.

Domian stood up and felt his face. "That's gonna leave a bruise." He looked angrily at Grey, who was laying on the ground, trying to get up. "What does it take to keep you down?!" Domian shouted.

Grey looked at him and smiled. "A hell of a lot more than you have to offer." Grey pushed himself up again, and he could feel the toxins taking effect. He was a little dizzy but not enough to stop fighting.

Domian wasn't going to take the lip anymore. He shot off one more round, and it stabbed Grey straight in the chest.

Things went black for Grey, and he dropped down to one knee. He couldn't see and he started coughing harshly. This time, it actually felt like he was going to die.

Domian took a step forward. "STAY DOWN!"

And then Halcen came up behind Domian, wrapping his arms around him in a bear hug. He squeezed as tightly as he could with what little energy he had left. He was finally able to move, but he couldn't do any actual fighting. He tried to pull Domian to the ground, but the man was so strong, there was no budging him. Halcen could barely maintain the hold.

Domian chuckled. "Is this all you can do in my wake? Grab onto me and hope I don't break out? How long will that last?"

"Dude…" Halcen grunted, "Shut the fuck up."

Grey finally regained his sight, and looked up at Halcen.

"Grey! Take us down!"

Grey looked at Halcen, then behind them, and nodded. He lunged forward off his feet, tackling the two men, and then all began to fall.

They hit the water with a splash. Domian seemed to have completely neglected the gaping pool of water next to him that he had tried to trap Halcen with. He had left his own weakness out in the open. Halcen held Domian tightly as he tried to escape, but the two of them sank to the bottom, until Domian passed out.

Domian woke up to the stench of smelling salts. He reared his head in the shock and put on a grotesque face. "What kind of vile odor is that?" He looked around, seeing the two men he had been fighting in front of him. Now, he was tied to a chair, sitting for their amusement. He was in the middle of his lab, facing the front door, with the gaping hole behind him. He could see the place was now a mess and that displeased him.

Grey stood in front of him, laughing in amusement. "Just a small part of your punishment."

"Punishment?" Domian laughed. "I will be granted marvelous riches and eternal praise for my doings."

"Says who?" Grey gaffed. "Last I heard, you don't get rewarded for mass murder."

"Murder? Me? No, it is _you_ who has the blood on their hands. I didn't harm a soul in all this. It was you who sank your blades, bullets, and fists into dozens of innocents here. _You_ do not get to judge _me_!" Domian looked to Halcen. "God is watching."

"Indeed He is," Grey said. A deep-seated hated glared over his teal eyes. "But not the one you think He is."

"How do we stop him?" Halcen asked calmly from the side.

Domian turned his head to see the leader of their rebellion force, sitting on one of the counters that he had taken much time toiling away for new concoctions over. "Stop him? Lord Kumajin?"

Halcen nodded.

"You can't. He has ascended in ways no mortal like you can compete with."

"You created the serum."

Domian nodded with a proud smile. "I did."

"So how do we reverse it… make him go back to normal?"

Domian laughed again. "I never created a counter-serum. There was no need. And even if I knew how to reverse it, I wouldn't tell you."

"So you'd die for him?"

"Of course I would. We aren't like you people. I've seen you down in the mud. You betray each other over the slightest inconvenience. That's human nature. Lord Kumajin is a being of celestial power, and he chose me to be his servant. We are bonded in ways you cannot understand. I would gladly die for him. I was nothing," he spat. "And Kumajin took me in and made me what I was. So yes… I would gladly sacrifice my own life for his. And you will die against him. I have ensured that. If that is to be my end, then I accept it with honor. My death means something here."

Halcen nodded. He knew there was no more reason to talk. This man would not give him the information he sought. Domian was insane and devoted. He would endure whatever pain Halcen inflicted on him in torture without fear. He was lost. "Alright, have it your way." Halcen walked away, out of Domian's sight. And he came back with a canister of oil.

"So you're going to purify me in fire?" Domian asked happily.

Halcen's jaw clenched. There was no winning over this man. Even the fear of death held no sway over him. He was impervious to all human emotions. _Maybe he really has ascended. Even still…_ Halcen doused the man with the gas, drenching his body in a heavy wet layer, all the while Domian kept a smile on his face. Halcen continued to take the oil and coat the rest of the shack's insides with it, ensuring the whole of the place would burn.

Halcen and Grey left the building to ensure they did not get caught in the fire. Grey lit a match, and as he tossed it, the two of them watched together in anger and relief as the fire caught the building, and even the man tied in his chair in the middle of the lab.

They could hear him begin to roar in pain. As the fire itself picked up, it's own tremendous fury overpowered the man's agony. It tore through everything, shrieking in delight at its new victim: the entirety of the wooden shed. But even through it, deep inside, they could hear Domian's one last taunt. "No power you hold will ever be good enough to save them!" And then he cackled into the fire until his voice died out forever.

Halcen stood on the outside, the heat of the fire and the tirade of primal power before him brought him back to the night when his parents were murdered, and the fire that almost devoured him as well. Halcen looked down at his hand and weakly forced the Haki to return, but it was only strong enough to cover his arm. He wasn't at full power. It would take longer than he had to get himself fully ready for the next fight.

Grey came to Halcen's side, seeing that he was spacing out. "Everything okay?"

Halcen gulped and looked to Grey. "I… I don't think I can do it."

"Do what?"

"Beat Kumajin."

"Halcen-"

"We had a plan, and it would've worked… but I didn't plan for _this_. Kumajin has become more powerful now than any of us can compare to. I don't have the power to stop him. We can't save Valentina… and the crew is going to die." He looked desperately into Grey's eyes. "What do we do?"

Grey sighed. "Halcen…" He put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Nobody could have planned for Kumajin to become that… thing. Yes, he's more powerful now, but that doesn't make him invincible. The plan may not work exactly as you wanted it to, but we still have to try." He stepped in front of Halcen and looked him straight in the face, both hands on Halcen's shoulders. "Everyone's life is at stake here. If we don't at least try, nothing can be done. You are strong, smart, and you don't give up without a fight. You're a bloody pirate, Avarik Halcen, and you've not done nearly enough to leave this world yet. So we're gonna go down there, and we're gonna fight, and we're not gonna die. So man the fuck up and let's do this."

Halcen chuckled for a moment. "Alright Grey." He placed his own hands on the taller man's shoulders. And he stared back with a wild glint in his eyes. "Let's go." He turned and began heading down the mountain towards the town. "We're going bear hunting."


	14. The Danger In Pissing Off A God

**Author's Note**

 **Here it is guys, the climax of the Bear Island arc! Finally! T** **his chapter took me FOREVER because it was so long and dense, and battle scenes are kinda my weak point... IDK if you've noticed. But yeah... this is basically just one long battle scene. I put a lot into this and I hope that it shows. I know it's not perfect, but I think it's pretty good. Hopefully you do too. If you have suggestions or feedback, I'm open to it, as long as it's positive. Anyway... here we go!**

 **As always, I do not own One Piece or it's canonical characters. I wish... but you know... life lol. :)**

* * *

The Danger In Pissing Off A God

Halcen and Grey hurried down the hill from the burning lab towards the town. It was a long way to the docks, but they had to get there as fast as possible, especially with the threat that Kumajin was going to kill their crew. They had six lives hanging in the balance and they had to do everything in their power to make sure nothing happened to any of them.

As they descended through the twisting town, they realized they could feel no presences in the immediate area. There seemed to be no living souls around. Halcen knew this was because he and his crew had killed just about everyone that lived on the island. Grey, Jory, and the snipers had taken on the civilians who were cast under an enraged spell and slaughtered them all in self defense. Then Halcen, Grey, and the snipers had taken down all of the cultists that served Kumajin. And there was, of course, the late Domian. There had been few spared on the island from the war waged. Now… it felt like they were all alone in the world… just the pirates and the god. That was unsettling.

Grey could feel Kumajin's power overflowing through the area. He was pissed off and going to cause chaos. All they had ready was a crew unaware of the drastic changes the beast had undergone. They were not prepared for what was to come and that made the two of them all the more nervous.

As they drew nearer to the bottom of the town, they stopped to look out across the area. From there, they could see the docks. And then Halcen spotted Kumajin, in all his gruesome glory. His gigantic form was slowly stalking towards the boats, where they saw the Black Tail anchored. This meant the crew had readied the plan.

Kumajin had gotten such a huge head start… so why was he only this far ahead of them? And where was Valentina? They did not see her with him.

 _Don't tell me he already got her…_

Halcen charged harder, needing to at least warn the crew.

But it was too late. They festival of blood began… and nothing went their way.

* * *

Kazuki saw Kumajin coming and panicked. This was not the simple Zoan form he had seen in their fight in the forest. This was… something new… something horrific. _How could he have transformed even further beyond? That doesn't make sense… So what do we do? What happened to Halcen and Grey? They were supposed to be leading him this way? Don't tell me they… No. Nothing like that could happen. Not Halcen… he's invincible… and Grey's just… way too strong. There's no way. But here he is… alone. We still have to fight this thing. There's no way around it. We gotta stick to the plan._ Kazuki signaled to the others, who were all in their own positions. This was not going to go as planned… but they had no choice.

Bo signaled back, as did Jory and Loyola. Here they would make a stand.

The beastly hulking monstrosity Kumajin roared in anticipation as he drew ever closer. He could smell the pirates hiding away in their dens. He was ready to rumble. He wanted to rampage. "Come out, come out, wherever you are," he taunted them. He knew they were near, but could not tell their exact positions. "Hurry up and come out so I can kill you. Then I can get back and tell your leader how much I enjoyed it."

And that was all the confirmation Kazuki needed. _Halcen and Grey are alive, but something must have happened. Were they captured by Domian? If he pulled out a wildcard like this… I could see how…_

Kazuki didn't have time to sit and contemplate. If Halcen wasn't coming, Kazuki himself had to lead the assault. This was what Marines were for. "Let's give him hell," he said lowly to himself.

Kazuki had to lure the monster through the plan.

* * *

Halcen saw watched what happened from afar in horror. _Don't do it, Kazuki. He's too powerful now. We can't take him the same way we planned._ But of course, Kazuki wouldn't have been able to hear him. He was much too far away. So they had to close the gap as quickly as possible in order to save the crew. He and Grey ran their hardest to make it to the scene before anything happened. But with as far behind as they were, it was going to take them too long, and they knew that. _Please, don't get hurt. Wait for me._

* * *

Kazuki stood up from his hiding place and looked out the window of the building he was in. He was going to have to abandon his post in order to make this work, but he really didn't have any other choice in the matter. He was tucked inside the fourth story window of the building he had been in during his fight against the townspeople, the one that acted as a gate to the docks… and the Black Tail.

Here, he had a cannon they had taken from the camp on the other side of the island. The place had been rife with all kinds of equipment the cultists had surely stripped from other ships that had come to this island. It was a scavenger's treasure trove. It was decided to make use of it in their fight against the beast king of Bear Island. They would use the weapons of the dead against their murderers.

Kazuki readied himself and the cannon. He stared down at the monster. _So much bigger than we're prepared for._ It was intimidating. Kumajin's back was almost to the third story window while he was down on all fours. If he were to stand up, he would pose an even more massive threat. Had he known this was going to happen, Kazuki would have had the cannon higher in the building. _Maybe we shouldn't go through with this. We have no idea what kind of power enhancements he's going to have now. No… If Halcen and Grey really are captured, we're the ones that have to save them. We just have to roll with the punches._

Kazuki waited breathlessly. _Ready… steady…_ He held until the moment Kumajin walked right in front of the building. Kazuki was sure he could sense them there, hiding. But as long as he didn't interrupt their attack, that was all that mattered.

 _FIRE!_

Kazuki yanked the cord and the cannon exploded with gunpowder and sound. The massive boom reverberated through Kazuki's body and echoed through the building. But the power of the cannon blew a heavy lead ball straight into Kumajin's dark brown side.

The beast roared in fury. His body was blasted into the sidewall of the building opposite Kazuki, cracking the wall and nearly going through it. His side was heavily wounded, but he stood back up all the same, blood dripping from the place he'd been hit. With a ferocious cry, he shouted "I will tear your bodies apart for this blasphemy!" And then he looked up into the place the cannonball had come from. He could smell the gunpowder, and then the human. His eyesight was blurred now but he could still make out basic shapes. He stood up on his hind legs, rising to his full height and swung his right arm across the fourth floor of the building, breaking through the stone wall and tearing the cannon out from its perch. It landed on the ground below with a heavy crash.

Kazuki managed to dodge the blow, just barely throwing himself back in time to avoid being hit by the god's hand. He was hit with debris still and he fell back hard enough to hit his back on the opposite wall. The debris hurt him more than anything, cutting across his left shoulder. _That was way too close._

But he had hurt Kumajin all the same. And that was enough to give him a little hope, until Kumajin swiped through the building again for good measure.

Kazuki rushed to window, desperate to stay alive. He dove out headfirst and curled up into a ball in midair, rolled himself forward until his feet were below him, and landed harshly, twisting his left knee. He dropped to the ground in a heavy heave.

Kumajin dropped back down on all fours, glaring at Kazuki. "Look at you," he gloated as he strutted towards Kazuki, who was holding his knee is pain. "Trying so hard to take down a God. You think these mortal instruments will work on me? How pathetic."

Kazuki gulped. "Yeah… I guess to you it would seem pointless. But we have to try anyway. I'm a soldier, that's what I do." Then he pushed off the ground by thrusting all his power into his right leg, and then he began sprinting towards the cannon, praying it would still work.

But he didn't make it. Kumajin turned and swiped the little man, throwing his body against the wall of the building he had just come out of. He hit with a loud smack, a small crack in the wall appearing. Surely that had fractured some of his bones. Kumajin was on top of him immediately, using the full force of his front left paw to smash Kazuki even harder into the wall, this time actually breaking through the stone wall.

Kazuki flew back and landed harshly on a pile of rock. He let out an agonized cry. He tried to get up, but his body was resistant. Each attempt only made it more painful.

Of course, Kumajin wasn't quite done. He reared up once more, and began tearing apart the building Kazuki was trapped at the bottom of.

Kazuki looked up to see the ceiling above him cracking. He closed his eyes as the debris began to rain down on him and the whole building collapsed.

* * *

"KAZUKI!" Halcen shouted, sprinting toward the scene. He was too late. The beast had downed one of his allies. He pushed himself harder, starting to hurt his own legs.

* * *

In response, Bo let loose his own cannon. This one was firmly placed too high on the opposite building for Kumajin to have sensed. The cannon boomed and sent a heavy black ball hurtling into Kumajin's back as he was stood up, attacking Bo's friend.

"You bastard!" Bo shouted.

Kumajin's body jerked forward and he fell face-first into the building as it was coming down. Debris rained down on his head as his body fell in a slump on the street. The haze of the destroyed concrete sprayed everywhere, coating the scene in a mist of grey powder.

Bo readied another cannonball, just in case the first one hadn't killed the demon beast. _I swear to God… if you killed Kazuki…_ Bo shook with rage as he stared into the mist. The scene was nothing but a slowly fading grey, as the breeze was very low, even so close to the sea.

And then a dark silhouette shot toward Bo and his building, smashing clawing into it, and beginning to climb the tower he was on, eight stories up.

 _Oh fuck._

Bo waited in trembling anger and terror. This monster was likely to kill him next.

Finally, its great maw came over the level and snapped at him, faster than Bo had thought it would. But it was too far from him and he yanked the cord one more time, sending a cannonball into the beast's face. But the explosion, being so near, backfired, and threw Bo off the back of the building as well. He went flying into the next building over, a few stories down. His body broke through the wood and he finally landed with a loud crack. Bo couldn't tell what was broken, but it felt like his whole body.

Kumajin too fell back to the ground, his massive body cracking the street and shaking the entire area. He had been hit by a total of three cannonballs now, but he would not stop. Not yet. His body was nearly indestructible, and he would overcome these tiny wounds. No human could stop him. "Two down. I still smell three," he laughed with a great rumble in his chest.

As he stepped forward, a switch flicked and a massive metal chain net pulled from underneath him, and trapped him in itself. He roared in annoyance again. "What is this pitiful contraption?"

Jory and Loyola came out from hiding, each holding a spear with a small black device attached at the ends. "It's a dragnet," Jory stated with fire in his eyes. And then he raised his spear into the air and stabbed through the net and into Kumajin's shoulder. A sudden burst of electricity sparked, shocking Kumajin. The net acted as an amplifier, sending the shock all over his body.

The beast heaved with a great painful roar. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Killing you!" Loyola shouted as she herself thrust her own spear into Kumajin's other side. The electrical burst exploded around them with blue light. She struggled to yank it back out.

The beast was tired and in pain. And then the net began to move. It lurched forward, the chains rattling as he was dragged over the ground. Kumajin stared straight ahead as he realized the net was being pulled toward the ocean. Far ahead, he could see the device they had put together to crank the net forward. He gulped in fear. This meant they knew his weakness: seawater. At least enough of it to dunk him in. He began to get riled up and claw at the net.

The two crewmates began to take turns stabbing him as he got closer and closer to the water.

"Calm down!" Jory shouted at the monster in their trap, like he was a fish on a hook.

"Jory, it's not holding!" Loyola yelled.

Kumajin rampaged inside the moving cage, franticly trying to break free. His claws and teeth swung furiously at the metal. Finally raged inside, Kumajin snapped through it like a twig, and suddenly he was free. He was hurt and pissed off, but he was free of the net. And that meant he could kill. He swung at Jory first.

Jory wasn't ready, but had to push himself into action anyway. He swung the spear up in defense, blocking the incoming attack. "Loyola, get out of here!" the kid yelled to his companion.

The lady looked at the scene in fear. She tried to get around them but Kumajin was far too big and he tried to dig at her at the same time.

Jory swiped the spear across Kumajin's massive paw, scratching the underneath and pushing it away, and ran to Loyola's aid. He took the hit that she had tried to dodge. He was swiped across his shoulder with Kumajin's massive right arm.

He let out a painful shout as he was thrown off his feet. His spear was lost in the debacle. He sat upright, trying to get back up to his feet. He grabbed at his own sword as fast as he could, but it wasn't enough.

The deadly monster swung across.

But Jory was saved by the swift feet of an old man. Grey tackled Jory to the ground just as Jory was almost cut to ribbons.

So Kumajin swung to his left to take Loyola out instead.

She screamed. No one tackled her to the ground to get out of the way. She was stuck in place.

Instead, a black visage appeared in front of her and took the blow instead.

Halcen was flung hard off his feet and yards away to the ground in the broken street. His body slid over the ground, sparks spraying everywhere. He finally settled into the one spot, then tried miserably to get back up, straining his body.

 _Thank God my Haki worked._ He was actually quite surprised his body hadn't given out on him already. The effects of Domian's various toxins had ceased when they had taken the plunge together, so that was no longer holding Halcen back, but he was still extremely tired and sore. He had put almost all of his leftover energy into running to the rescue. He had saved Loyola, but now he was the one in danger.

Halcen looked up to see Grey, standing in front of the evil Kumajin, making sure to keep the beast's focus on himself. If he wanted, Kumajin easily could have gone after Jory or Loyola again. And they did not want that to happen. The two of them took off towards the docks as Grey and Halcen took over the fight.

"Dammit," Halcen spat as he stood up. _This is gonna hurt._ His broadened his shoulders and readied himself for the match. He was going up against a new power like none he had ever faced before. Sure, he'd fought Zoans, plenty of times. He'd fought many Devil Fruit users. But this was something… incredulous. This was a whole new level of power. An ascension beyond Zoan. It was godly, and he was scared.

Kumajin looked down at Halcen, the little man struggling to stand. His body was coated in that ghastly coal-like armor. Kumajin roared. "Domian was supposed to be holding you two. What did you do to him?"

Halcen looked dead into Kumajin's one eye, panting. "We killed him," he said abruptly.

Kumajin began to shake in rage. "You killed the last member of my congregation? You killed Domian?!"

Halcen stood up straight, still trying to regain his breath. "That's right. He's dead. Just like the rest of this god-forsaken island. You forced our hand… and you paid the price. That's what happens when you fuck with pirates."

"Filthy mortals," Kumajin growled deeply in rage.

"What would it matter to you, huh? You're a 'God' after all. What does one more human matter to you? Not like you cared about the rest of them."

"I spent years combing them, training them. I picked each of them carefully and took them in as a member of my congregation, Domian especially. He was a truly devoted believer. I can't just replace them all overnight. It will take decades to rebuild."

Halcen gave Kumajin a fake sad face. "Aww… I'm sorry," he said sarcastically. "I didn't know they meant so much to you."

"You do not get to joke about the death of my comrades," the hulking beast grunted at Halcen.

"You made your joke about killing _my_ crew."

"That was not a joke. That was a promise."

"But it doesn't seem like you're gonna be able follow through. You seem to be pretty worn down already."

And then Kumajin began to laugh. "Do you really think it's going to be that easy to kill me?"

"I took you down once, in your previous form, all by myself. Now? I have my whole crew to back me up. And we've killed everything else you've thrown our way. So yeah…"

"My power now is so much greater than it was when we fought. At least ten times the amount. Surely, you can feel it!"

He was right. Halcen gulped hard. He was staring down a beast whose power he could feel just standing in front of him. He didn't need Haki to sense it; it was overwhelming. Kumajin literally oozed with power. And this was _after_ they had shot him with cannonballs, stabbed him, and electrocuted him. Now, he was still more powerful than them. His wounds could barely be seen. He was a tank, a mad unstoppable beast.

"You're right…" Halcen admitted. "But that doesn't mean we're going to stop; that we're gonna give up. We're still going to fight you, no matter how powerful you are, because our lives depend on it. And that's one thing you can count on humans to do, in case you forgot what it was like. We can go to extreme lengths to achieve what seems impossible!" Halcen spat. "So shut the fuck up and let me kill you!" Halcen pushed off again, still sore and tired, but his spirit renewed. This battle was not going to be his last; that he promised himself.

Kumajin swiped at Halcen with his massive right paw. Halcen tried to block it with his own two arms, but he was overwhelmed by the shear raw might Kumajin had behind the blow and was still thrown off his footing and across the ground again.

Halcen's body landed in a harsh twisting pain. He took a moment to gather his breath and then stood up once more, refusing to accept defeat. His arms throbbed from the hit. Even through the Haki, he was taking damage. That wasn't a good sign. Halcen's body felt so heavy. He looked down and saw that his shirt was completely tattered. There was no point in keeping it. He tore it off completely to reveal his pitch black torso. He inhaled deeply once again. _I can't stop now._

Kumajin hurled his massive body at Halcen, running at the speeds of a train, ready to run over the puny human that stood before him. The faster he killed this man, the faster he could go back to rebuilding his island. There were still a few humans left alive, he could smell them. It would take some time, but being a God… he had plenty of time. He reared up and tackled Halcen to the ground.

Halcen's body collapsed beneath the incredible weight of the beast. He let out a loud groan as the pain jolted through his body. He could feel the damage as it happened. His Haki wasn't holding up against this monster. He was shocked. He had sailed the world over time and again under Whitebeard, and never had he fought someone who could penetrate his armor. _Oh shit, this is bad._

Kumajin lurched again to stomp on Halcen's chest.

Halcen coughed harshly, blood spitting out. The beast's power was too much for him. He ground his teeth in pain, and then let out another loud cry. "You… monster."

"Monster?" Kumajin laughed with a heavy throat.

Halcen felt the beast digging his claws through his Haki and into his skin in retaliation for his vocal defiance.

"You still don't understand. I am God."

"God?" Halcen smiled with evil eyes. "No… not God. I've never seen God, but I'm sure he's not limited to your mongrel form. I'm sure God has a power unlike any. But you… are nothing but an abomination. And I will wipe you out!"

"Tough talk from someone who can't even move."

And then the miracles began. A sudden shout from high above distracted Kumajin. He saw from the sky coming down was Bo. His body seemed pretty messed up, but he was still very much alive and kicking. He dropped down onto Kumajin's back, carrying an electric spear of his own. He jammed it into the beast and began to wriggle it as the electricity spewed around them.

The beast jumped up in surprise and pain and tried to snap its neck back to tear Bo off of him.

"No way, you bastard! This is for Kazuki!" and then he dug the weapon deeper into the beast and refused to let go, no matter how hard the monster bucked.

Halcen was able to stand up as he watched Grey charge at the monstrous bear. He had taken Loyola and Jory safely from the scene, and came back to help. He leaped up at the monster with his right fist out front and smashed it into the side of the demon bear, where he had been hit by the first cannonball.

The force of the hit was not strong enough to seriously injure the beast itself, but it was enough to weaken it; legs collapsed under it, making the monster fall to the ground.

Kumajin quickly got back up, this time, truly enraged. Halcen looked into his eye and there was no consciousness, no sentience. It was pure anger. This was only going to get worse.

"LOOK OUT!" Halcen shouted. But it was too late.

Kumajin flicked his right arm over his shoulder and clawed into Bo, tearing him off his back. The spear, still tight in Bo's hands, was yanked out from the beast's flesh, a howl with it. Kumajin grabbed tightly onto Bo, squeezed his body as hard as he could, Bo letting out a loud cry with it, and then threw him with all his might into the side of one of the buildings.

Bo's body flung against the wall, hitting with a clear cracking sound. Debris flew out around him with the breakage, clouding the area. He was out.

Halcen watched in horror. "Bo," he said lowly to himself. _Not him too._

Then Kumajin turned to Grey, "Alright, now. Your turn old man."

Halcen clung tightly to his bleeding chest, trying to staunch the wound while he watched Grey battle it out with Kumajin. The old man was a lot stronger than Halcen and he was a lot more experienced, so Halcen held a small amount of hope that Grey was going to be able to finish this fight.

Grey put up his arms in ready for the coming attack. He took a deep breath and let the battle flow.

Kumajin swung down one of his giant paws from the sky down at Grey, but Grey was fast enough to dodge it. He pushed himself to the side and watched in slow motion as the massive thing smashed the ground next to him, Grey himself having no problems. The ground shook, but he was unaffected.

"You little mouse. That should have crushed you."

"If you were fast enough to hit me, maybe," Grey goaded him.

Kumajin was too slow to make the next move before Grey got in his shot. He unleashed a quick, heavy punch to Kumajin's leg that he had tried to hit Grey with. It made a heavy impact and the bear roared and then picked his arm back up quickly, backing away from Grey.

"That's right. Let's go!" Grey leaped into the air again, throwing his left leg full swing into Kumajin's right shoulder.

The beast groaned in annoyance. The hits were hurting, but not enough to take him down. "You little wretch." He roared ferociously into Grey's face and then tried to snap him with his great jowls.

Grey moved fast enough to keep out of the way.

Kumajin was furious. He swung his arm heavily across the ground, smacking Grey's legs and knocking him to the ground. "Not so quick now, are you!?"

"Grey!" Halcen shouted in anticipation, trying to charge the scene himself. Grey was gonna need his backup, no matter how injured Halcen already was.

Halcen jumped in just in time to keep Grey from getting crushed by another swooping paw. Kumajin threw down his giant claw once again and Halcen managed to throw up both arms in protection of his crewmate. But the blow was so heavy that Halcen was immediately forced to his knees. He groaned in pain trying to stave off the crushing paw. "Grey… are you okay?"

Grey nodded in appreciation, then dove out from the strike zone and landed into a roll to make sure he was out of the way. Now _he_ had to protect Halcen. Grey jumped into the air toward Kumajin, right arm cocked back, and launched another huge punch to his face.

The contact was so strong, wind whipped around them. Kumajin's body lost all balance and he went spinning like a top into the wall nearest them, crashing into it and ended up tearing it down and going through completely.

Halcen stood up to watch the spectacle that had just transpired. "Nice hit."

Grey nodded. "I do what I can."

"Do you think it took him out?"

Grey waited a second before answering. "No… he's still kicking."

And then Kumajin exploded out of the debris, raising hell upon them one more time. This time, amped up on blood rage. He tackled Grey across the alley and into the opposite building's side, smashing the man into the wall. He held Grey up by his throat and began smashing the old man into the wall again and again until that wall too crumbled on top of him.

"GREY!" Halcen shouted in fear. He took off running after them. "You bastard!"

Kumajin turned to Halcen and swept him off his feet with one arm and tossed him aside like a ragdoll. "Stay back while I kill this one first!"

Halcen tried to stand up to get back to them but it was too late.

The giant godly bear beast took Grey down in one last heavy enraged attack. He speared his talons into Grey's chest as the old man screamed in pain, and then twisted his body around, throwing him far away, towards the docks. As far away as they were, Grey collided with one of the smaller boats in the dock and splintering the little wooden thing to pieces, and then began sinking in the water.

"GREY!" Halcen shouted in horror, watching his first mate's attempted murder.

Kumajin turned his attention back toward Halcen. "So it's just you and me now," he chuckled.

Halcen's greedy eyes glared in hate. His body and mind burned in rage. But he was injured and he was going to have a hard time getting any real damage done. If Grey, the stronger and more experienced of them couldn't handle it, then how was Halcen supposed to? He was counting on Grey having his back.

"Now, let's get this over with so I can get back to my wife and start rebuilding this island with our children." He stalked slowly towards Halcen.

And Halcen remembered why they were all there… why they were risking their life to fight this beast. It wasn't for glory or riches. There would be no one here to tell their tale. There was little here to steal. This was about Valentina, a member of Halcen's crew. She was a key component to the Chaos Pirates. _She was taken from us, and I will fight to the death to get her back if I need to. She was under my protection. I am her Captain. I cannot let any of my crew die. I will kill this monster and save them!_

Halcen lunged at the badly beaten bear. He was injured, but nowhere near dead. Halcen was relatively hurt himself, but not enough to stop him from fighting. There was a giant gash in his chest through his Haki, bleeding red over his black.

The god acted faster than Halcen. He dove in and bit down on Halcen's left forearm.

Halcen's mind raced to fear. The squeezing pressure was the only thing that hurt since his Haki was holding up. But he locked eyes with the beast who grinned cunningly through the bite. Kumajin started to pull back, dragging Halcen with him. Halcen dug his feet into the ground, making sure he kept his balance and wasn't drug off his feet. The tug-of-war on his arm was painful. But he would not give Kumajin the satisfaction of getting over him in this battle.

Halcen pulled back with as much strength as he could muster as Kumajin dug his own massive claws into the ground, gaining more stability than Halcen could. But Halcen seemed to be pulling the monster closer anyway. Kumajin realized this and twisted his neck hard and bit down even harder onto Halcen's arm, breaking through the Haki this time.

Halcen shouted in bloody agony. His arm began to bleed profusely. He could feel his arm getting weaker. He knew if Kumajin pulled that move one more time, he was likely to fracture bone. Halcen couldn't let that happen. He needed all his limbs fully functional for this fight.

"You really think this is gonna be enough?" Halcen goaded. He reached for his knife with his right hand. He knew the simple blade wasn't enough to really hurt Kumajin, and clearly so did Kumajin, because he began to laugh between his blood-soaked teeth.

Halcen looked at him in dead seriousness. He needed to hurt this monster. So he forced his Haki to extend to the knife from his arm. It was difficult to maintain, but he knew it was worth the risk. It just meant the rest of his body would be slightly less hardened. He had to divert it more from his legs and strengthen the toughness of the Haki around his arms and now the knife as well. If Kumajin had an opening to strike Halcen's legs, they would have been sliced to ribbons, but Halcen knew that Kumajin would have no such opening.

The knife blackened deeply into a sheen. Kumajin's eyes caught the gloss and he began to question the effectiveness of his plan.

Halcen attempted to stab at Kumajin's face, but he pulled his head to the side real quick, throwing Halcen off foot and missing the bear completely. _Dammit!_

The angry pirate Captain stared down Kumajin. Their eyes met; Kumajin's great grizzled eyes and Halcen's angry emerald eyes. He spat on Kumajin's face, a huge wet wad splashed on the bear's snout. Kumajin growled in annoyance and lunged at Halcen in agitation, trying to swing a massive right claw at Halcen's head, slightly loosening his grip the arm and giving the man an opening.

Halcen swept his body down to the side to avoid the claw and it sailed overhead. At the same time, swinging the knife to the side and sinking it into Kumajin's snout. He howled in pain.

Halcen mentally celebrated having landed the blow, but he knew there was no way one stab was going to be enough to loosen the grip on his arm. He grabbed tightly onto the knife and twisted deeper into Kumajin's flesh. The blade had hurt bad enough to force Kumajin's mouth open in an unintentional whine.

Halcen yanked his arm out quickly and retreated from his enemy, pulling back just a bit. He readied his knife, maintaining its extra Haki strength. _I need to keep him wary. He's been putting up a good fight, but it looks like he's winding down. This transformation is straight out of Hell though, I swear. Kazuki, Bo, Grey; none of them could last against him. I need to kill him quick though, cause I'm losing stamina too. I can't keep this up for long._

The man's left arm was sore, bleeding, and not at 100% strength. There wasn't going to be permanent damage, but it was still going to be a serious hindrance in this fight. So Halcen tucked his left arm across his bleeding chest and held out the knife with his right. He took a deep breath and renewed the Haki strength over his body, trying to make sure none of him was left weak, but it was still weaker than it was earlier. He was slowly losing it. _I'm gonna lose it altogether pretty soon. I need to finish this fast._

"Alright, let's end this!" Halcen shouted.

Kumajin stared down Halcen from his own mangled body. The gaping wounds on his sides and back from the cannonballs, the burning stab wounds from the electric spears, his left eye missing entirely, and a flap of flesh hanging off the side of his muzzle from Halcen's knife. He was in bad shape and getting worse with each bout. He was breathing heavily, blood dripping, body was moving slowly, but not past the point of no return. If he killed Halcen here and now, he would be able to rest it off and recover with some time and proper tending. He could have Valentina aid him once she was exposed to the God Fruit. "Yes, lets," he growled in a low grumble.

The two charged at each other, Kumajin jumped over Halcen, still easily able to clear the distance regardless of his body's damage, and turned into a roll when he landed, and lunged an arm out to swipe Halcen.

Halcen wasn't ready for that. He had prepared for a frontal defense, but this monster was much more agile than Halcen thought he would be. He tried to twist around to block with his right arm, but he lost his footing and slipped, barely maintaining his balance enough to stay upright.

Kumajin took advantage and was on him the instant he tripped. His giant arm swept Halcen's legs.

Halcen's could feel the pain as he twisted in the air and landed on his bad with a thud. He coughed and tried to catch his breath but Kumajin got right on top of him. He smashed down on Halcen's chest once more with his left paw. But Halcen wasn't going to let Kumajin cause anymore damage. He took his knife and stabbed it swiftly into Kumajin's paw, making him shriek and retract his paw. But Kumajin didn't move from his position above Halcen.

Halcen began to rapidly stab at Kumajin's underside. This was one area that seemed relatively unharmed: his stomach. Halcen quickly shoved the dagger into the beast over and over, spraying blood all over himself and the ground.

The monster roared. He quickly moved over from on top of Halcen and swung his uninjured paw as hard as he could across the ground, slashing through Halcen's Haki on his left shoulder and throwing Halcen across the open area.

The black body rolled over the ground again and again until he finally settled on his back. He grunted in pain. This was already his bad arm, now it was worse. Not to mention his legs and back had taken some damage in the throw. _This bastard is too strong. I can't… keep this up._ He stood up, barely able to keep his legs from shaking.

Kumajin stood up, staring evilly at Halcen. He was ready for more, but Halcen was so tired… so sore. He needed this to end. But Kumajin was still standing strong. This transformation really had changed everything.

Halcen forced himself to stand up one more time. His legs wobbled, but he finally gained the balance. He stood with his knees slightly bent and knife-arm out, ready for fight. He breathed out and stared back at Kumajin, daring him to make another move.

"WHY?!" Kumajin roared. "Why do you continue to stand, continue to fight? Your allies are as good as dead, you're the last one standing, and only barely! Why do you fight so hard? Do you really want to keep fighting, and die, for this woman? What kind of sickness is that? What is it that drives you to suicide? Is this love? It's nothing but a weak, human emotion."

Halcen laughed. "No… You don't understand camaraderie at all. This isn't about love. I barely know her."

"Then why?! Why are you so willing to die for her?"

"It's simple. I'm her Captain. I would die for any of the people aboard my ship. Their protection is my responsibility and I will not let anything happen to them. It's not love. It's pride. It's a pirate's greed! I will not let anyone take anything else from me! This is my world! You fucked with the wrong pirate. So I'm gonna kill you, save Valentina, and get my crew off this island in one piece."

Kumajin growled a low heavy laugh. "You can try."

The beast charged at Halcen, bulldozing him with his body's massive blunt force. Halcen was thrown off his feet far across the area. He landed hard on the ground. His eyes went fuzzy. All this being thrown around was not good for him. He was sure he was going to have a concussion now.

 _What the fuck was that?_

Halcen looked back up to see Kumajin charging at him again. His eyes darted in alarm and he barely managed to roll out of the way as the rampaging beast rushed through. Halcen panted painfully. He couldn't do that again.

But Kumajin could. He came at Halcen one more time. He pushed off as soon as he landed and came right back at Halcen. The little man didn't have time to get out of the way. Kumajin stampeded over him with ease, breaking down his body little by little.

Halcen rolled over onto his stomach, trying to get out of the way. He got up on his hands and knees and looked up to find Kumajin circling him. He was getting ready to strike again. And then he rushed in.

Halcen tried desperately to get out of the way. He dove to the side too sluggish. He was sliced across his left ribcage. He barely managed to muffle a scream; he was in so much pain. This wasn't good. He was taking too much damage. His left side was completely useless now. He needed to deal some major damage fast.

He gripped his left arm tightly to the side of his ribs and held out his knife with his right hand. This time, he forced as much Haki to the blade as possible. He could feel his body becoming weak with it, but it was necessary. He was going to need to use some skill… and a whole lotta luck.

He stood up and stared down the circling bear. "Come on then," he taunted, flicking the knife up.

The beast shook its head. "Do you really think you can do any real damage to me with that pig-sticker?" Kumajin roared, trying to still seem mighty. But it was clear he was in pain.

"We'll see," Halcen said, turning his head cockily. "Why don't you come at me and find out?"

"FINE!" Kumajin shoved off again, this time faster than before. He was wary of Halcen's new cockiness, but he couldn't very well just let himself sit and wait. That wasn't like him. He needed to attack, to tear Halcen limb from limb. He was finally going to kill this mortal.

Halcen jumped aside just in time, surprisingly. He hadn't expected for the beast to move so quickly, but he still had time to pull it off. He dove to the left as the monstrous beast came pummeling through. Halcen threw his right arm out and tightened his muscles it as it pierced into the flesh of the storming bear. He pushed into it as hard as he possibly could, channeling all his Haki into the small blade. The black armor was pulled off of Halcen's skin and was pushed into the blade.

In the moment, the two of them could feel the drastic change in dynamic with the energy transfer. A humming flare erupted with the attack. Kumajin was thrown to the ground onto his left side. His right was carved with a massive burning cut across his whole length. He heaved and sighed as blood pooled and he nearly passed out. The monster was dying.

Halcen stood in shocking disbelief as he stared down at his vanquished foe. He was tired, but he was alive. He sank to his knees, his body now back to its ugly pink. A sigh fell from his mouth as his entire body relaxed for a moment. _Finally._

Much to Halcen's chagrin, apparently it wasn't quite over. Kumajin suddenly jerked back to his feet and startled Halcen, rolling over and looking deeply into the man's eye without a sound. Not a word. Only sorrowful eyes. He knew he was beaten, but he had one more thing to do.

Halcen watched Kumajin swaying back and forth on his feet, barely able to remain standing. He was in a bad way, but for some reason he began to stumble off back towards the town.

Halcen stood up to follow him. _What the hell is he up to?_ Halcen was worried this could be a trap, but there was no way he was going to let the beast wander about the island alone without keeping an eye on him. That was how Valentina had gotten taken in the first place.

Halcen staggered along, watching him from a small distance. They wound through the streets of the town, up to the higher levels, and then headed east out of the town and into the brush of the forestry. They passed through some greenery for about fifteen minutes until they came to a clearing. It was about a hundred feet across and there was nothing noticeable about it except a single cave. The rest of the place was surrounded by bushes and trees just like the ones they had walked through to get here.

 _What is this place?_ Halcen asked himself, staying back a few extra paces. _Why here? Why did he come here?_

He didn't get an answer from the beast himself. Kumajin, unable to keep walking, fell to his stomach on the ground with a thud, and then became still with one last sigh.

Halcen came quietly, making sure this wasn't a trap. It wasn't. Kumajin was dead. The beast had perished. But he used his final moments to lead Halcen to a cave in the forest. _But why?_

Halcen got his answer when he stepped closer to the cave. He could make out the outlines of a woman lying on the cold ground of the stone, hidden in the shade of the cave.

"Valentina!" he shouted in awe as he rushed to her

There she was, lying in front of him, her long pink hair strewn about, and her perfect body motionless on the ground. He got down on his knees to inspect her. "Are you… okay?" he asked with no answer.

She was unconscious, and she was sure to be so for a while. Whatever Domian had given her hadn't worn off yet.

And there was the Devil Fruit, whole, untouched, laying across from her on a raised piece of rock. Halcen's breath let itself in relief. She hadn't eaten the Devil Fruit. _She's okay._

"It's okay. I'm here. I'm going to take care of you."


	15. Paid In Blood

**Author's Note**

 **So I got this finished finally. It was going to be a lot longer, but I decided to cut the chapter in half. So it's not as exciting. But it is important. SO I hope this is good for you guys. :)**

 **I unfortunately still do not own One Piece. However... my hitman came back... and tried to murder ME. I think Oda is mad at me. O.O**

* * *

Paid In Blood

There he stood, in the clearing, holding the beautiful long-haired woman in his arms. She was roughed up a bit, but overall she seemed okay. She was still unconscious, despite his attempts to wake her. He knew that it was going to take some time for her body to get over everything that had happened. He had put the lingering Devil Fruit into a sling around his waist, so he could carry them both without trouble.

The pirate captain staggered back through the wooded area, barely able to maintain his balance. His body was in so much pain, but he had to press on anyway. He had been through a hellish ordeal, but it was finally over. He just needed to get her to safety and then he could rest.

Halcen stepped out onto the town street after about twenty minutes, and there in front of him stood a short old lady. She stared up at him, with barely opened brown eyes. She had on a pink polka dotted dress that covered everything, and her gray hair was back in a bun.

"Uhm… excuse me?" Halcen said, bordering on delirium.

"In all my years… I never thought anyone could really do it," she said weakly.

He looked down at Valentina, passed out in his arms. "I didn't do anything to her…"

The old woman looked confused. "I meant Kumajin. You defeated him… and have saved us."

"Oh, right." Halcen nodded his head along. "Who are you?"

"My name is Miriane. I'm just your friendly neighborhood old lady."

"Hmmm…" Halcen stared her down, unsure if she was a threat.

"Who might you two be?"

"I'm Halcen… this," he said raising his arms slightly, "is Valentina."

"Very nice to meet you."

"What do you want?" he asked, brusquely.

"Well, Halcen, you and your friends are injured. I have come to offer aid. Follow me. We'll take care of you."

"We?"

"I'm not the only one still alive. Despite how I might appear, I am not that badass," she drawled sarcastically. She then grew serious again, saying "Yes, many are dead, but Domian did not infect us all. Come, I'll show you."

Halcen followed the old lady through the city. She headed down towards one of the more abandoned-looking parts of town. This must have been where the poorer people lived. Being older, she was somewhat slower moving, which Halcen was thankful for. It meant he could keep up. He himself was rather slow at the moment, being that he was both injured and carrying another person.

Finally, they came to the building she had led him to. It was a bit bigger than he expected. Considering that they were so far from the upper layers, Halcen thought it would be nothing but a small rundown house. But this was rather large and quite nicely kept.

"I used to live here with my husband and our sons. They've all passed now," she said opening the door. "But now it can be put to use for you and your friends. You'll all need medical attention."

"Are you a doctor?" Halcen asked.

"A bit, yeah," the old woman said.

She led him through the front door and into the house, up the stairs. There was a room up there with a bed Halcen tucked Valentina in. He looked down at her in worry.

"Don't worry, she'll be fine."

"Yeah…" Halcen knew this was the truth but couldn't help from worrying anyway. Valentina was such a vibrant woman. He hated that anything could have taken that away. He looked away from her and started toward the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Miriane asked.

Halcen stopped and looked back at Miriane. "To make sure the others are okay. We took care of Valentina, now I have to take care of everybody else."

"Oh, don't worry about that either. _We're_ taking care of it."

"We?" Halcen asked in suspicion.

"I told you, there are other survivors."

"So where are they? I haven't seen anybody. I would have expected you all to congregate to one place."

"Yes, we have a main building up a few levels where most of them are getting together, but I thought it best to bring your crew here instead of there, to let you rest in peace. But right now, the kids are gathering your friends."

"Kids?"

"Yes. The majority of the survivors are the elderly, like myself, and the children. Since the kids are the most able-bodied, we figured they'd be best to send out to help your crew. So… there's no need to rush off to save them. They're already on their way here."

Halcen nodded. "I see. Thank you."

"It is us who needs to show you thanks."

"I didn't do it for you," Halcen said, truthfully.

"I know, dear. That's okay. It's not like a pirate to do things from the good of their heart. But regardless, you did it all the same."

Halcen drifted mentally from the conversation. His eyes rested on Valentina. Everything that she had been through… Halcen couldn't understand the turmoil she had faced. He was unprepared for how to handle the next step.

"Now she we seems perfectly fine, physically," Miriane stated. "It's just Domian's toxins that are hurting her."

"What can we do for her?" Halcen asked, earnestly.

"She just needs to rest. It should pass within the next day. In the meantime, you can stay here and rest."

Halcen nodded. "Okay… thank you."

"It's really no problem. Now let's leave her be, and go get you stitched up," the old woman motioned to Halcen's arm.

"Sounds good."

The two of them walked back downstairs to her living room, where she got out her medical kit and started taking a look over Halcen's body. He was still shirtless from the fight with Kumajin so his wounds were in full view. "My, my…." she said with surprise. "Well… I gotta say, Halcen. For a guy that went up against the Bear God, your wounds really are not that bad. Nothing seems to be broken. You've got a few cuts, but nothing major. There's gonna be some bruising that'll last maybe a week, but other than that, you're in good shape."

Halcen nodded in disbelief. After everything he had done in his fight, he was sure he was going to be in a lot worse shape. "Well… that's good, right?"

"Indeed. I'm still gonna clean everything out and wrap it up but other than that, it's only gonna take time."

"Sounds good. Thank you."

As she finished up the catering to Halcen's wounds, Miriane's front door opened, startling Halcen.

"Oh, calm down," the old woman laughed at the jumpy young man. "It's just my helpers."

And when Halcen took a second look, there were a dozen kids at the door, carrying in Halcen's friends. Grey, Bo, and Kazuki were each held up by three or four of the little kids each, all around ten to twelve years old. There were both boys and girls, but they were all young. "Hey Miri, we brought his friends!"

"Yes, yes, I see that. Be quiet though, you'll wake the woman upstairs."

"Oh, I'm sorry," said their leader, looking a little flushed.

The three men seemed pretty badly beat up, but they were all alive.

 _Thank God._

Behind the troupe, Loyola and Jory walked in, looking over the house, their gaze finally met Halcen.

"Where's Bailu?" Halcen asked, a bit worried that something had happened to the old man.

"Oh, he elected to stay on the ship," Loyola said. "Something about not wanting to walk up all these roads. You know, the usual with him. Complaining."

Halcen nodded. "Makes sense."

"So we finally did it?" Jory asked.

"Yeah, Kumajin's dead."

"The Big Bad Bear Man is dead." One of the kids sang.

"And here are our heroes!" another joined in, motioning to the crew of pirates, and their Marine sniper allies.

"We're not heroes," Halcen said flatly.

"Oh good heavens, let the kids have their fun," Miriane said.

"Halcen," Loyola said softly, trying to divert his attention.

Halcen lifted his head to look her in the eye.

"Valentina?"

"She's upstairs. She'll be okay."

He could see the light burst across her face. "Can I…?"

Halcen nodded. "I'll show her the way," he said standing up, "if that's okay with you?" he asked Miriane.

"Oh, of course. No need for all the formalities. We're all friends here. I've gotta take a look over your crew anyway. You two go ahead."

Halcen led Loyola up the stairs to the bedroom Valentina was laid in. He stayed at the door while Loyola went in to check on her.

"You two are close," Halcen said.

"Yeah… we've known each other a while."

"How long?"

"Oh, practically her whole life."

"Really?" Halcen asked with clear surprise.

Loyola nodded. "I knew her mother way back before I started working for Max. We were friends."

"That makes sense. You two seemed to get along well."

"Yeah… I was the one that got her this job."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah… after her mother passed, she needed _something_. She was always good with charts and whatnot, so I thought it was fitting."

"That's nice of you."

Loyola shrugged. "It was just the decent thing to do."

"So you really care for her."

She nodded without taking her eyes off Valentina. "I would die… if anything ever happened..."

Halcen nodded along. He'd run out of things to say. So he left Loyola to be alone with her friend, and slowly backed out into the shadows and walked back downstairs to the rest of the group.

Miriane was already working over the four men. Jory was a bit banged up, but for the most part he was perfectly fine. Grey, Bo, and Kazuki had some pretty serious injuries though.

 _I'd thought we lost Kazuki for sure. But Grey… he's so strong… I was so sure he would be able to last. Maybe things aren't quite as easy as I thought they were going to be…_

Halcen settled next to Jory on a chair as Miriane went over their friends. They had made up some beds on the ground in the other room so she could tend to each of them. Once they were well enough, they could move to real beds themselves.

"Is there anything I can do to help," Halcen asked.

"Well I guess you could hold them up so I can properly apply the aid, seeing as how they can't move themselves."

So Halcen helped Miriane with the treatment. They inspected and took care of the three unconscious men's wounds. Grey's and Kazuki's were the most troubling. Grey had a giant gash in his stomach as well as many other wounds around his body, along with a slightly damaged skeleton. Kazuki definitely had a concussion on top of most of his bones being fractured. There were several actual breaks, so banding them together was a long and arduous process, but it was necessary. Bo, on the other hand, was pretty much fine. He had a few relatively harsh wounds on the surface, but it was mostly stuff that just needed him to sleep it off. Miriane figured he would be the first to wake.

The treatment lasted a couple of hours, and by then Halcen was exhausted. His body needed replenishment and rest. The night had come, and Halcen's stomach began to rumble.

Miriane took notice. "Oh my. You must be famished after all that you've done today."

And she was right. Halcen had done a lot in this one day, and had only the small amount of food Grey had prepared earlier in the morning, before they took on Domian.

"Here, let me make you guys something to eat," she said, motioning to the three of them still awake.

"Is Bailu gonna be okay on the ship without food?" Halcen asked.

"You're worried about that old grouch?" Loyola laughed.

"There should be enough on the ship for him," Jory pointed out. "I'm sure he can find something."

Halcen shrugged it off with that in mind.

Miriane got busy clanging away in her kitchen. The sounds and smells of a home-cooked meal wafted through the house. Halcen began to realize just how hungry he actually was.

When she was finally done, she brought out bowl of food for each one of them. There was a veggie/beef mix with brown sauce on top of a heaping helping of rice. "I know it's nothing fancy, but it was short notice. It should help restore some of your vigor."

Halcen hadn't waited for her to finish talking. His mouth was already full by the time she was done. "Eermergerdshishisbewishish," he said with his mouth full.

The two crew members watched Halcen in horror.

"Good heavens, boy! Manners!"

Halcen looked at her with eyes wide and cheeks puffed up like squirrels. His face reeked of shame. He then swallowed and cleared his throat. "Thank you. This is delicious," he said, with a low tone.

"Of course."

"So, I gotta ask," Halcen said. "You don't know us at all. We could have been here to pillage and kill everyone here. How did you know we weren't dangerous to you? Why stick your neck out for us if you might have gotten hurt too?"

"Oh, thanks easy. My husband told me you were good people."

"You husband?"

"Leonard."

"Leonard… we don't know a-" and then the image of the old man that warned them on their arrival burned into Halcen's mind. "Lenny."

"That's right, he went by Lenny most of the time. I still called him 'Leonard' though."

"He was your husband?"

Miriane nodded. "He sure was. He was a good man, and he told me the same about you. The only thing you seemed to be worried about was your friend. That you didn't have a hint of evil or malintent. So when I finally saw you myself, I knew I had to help you, just as he did."

"And your husband paid a price for it."

"We've all paid many prices, dear. Living, alone, is a price. But you gave us freedom, and you paid for it your own self. We have lost many in this town: loved ones, children, parents, siblings. This island seemed to be cursed for decades. I lost my own two sons to this curse as well. But you… you released us. And all you were after was your friend. So I had no thoughts about you being a villain."

Halcen was shocked by the revelation. "You really don't… hold any of this against us?"

"No, dear, of course not."

"You're a very kind woman."

"I'm just trying to do my husband proud."

"That's intense," Jory blurted out.

"It's life," Miriane admitted. "But I've gone on enough. Have you had your fill?" she asked, motioning to their empty bowls. "I can get you more."

Halcen looked at his bowl. "No, I'm fine. But you wouldn't happen to have any candy, would you?"

"Candy?" Miriane laughed.

"Well it doesn't exactly have to be _candy_. It could be anything sweet. Cookies or cake… anything like that?"

"I'm afraid I don't," she said chuckling.

"Of course not. Nobody on this island has anything of the sort," he sighed.

"We haven't had actual chocolate in a long time. The Bear God didn't seem to like the smell of sweets on the island, so they just suddenly stopped making it. I could ask one of the kids if they had any stashed somewhere."

"No, that's fine. I was just curious," he said with a clearly disappointed tone.

Miriane, Loyola, and Jory all took to laughing at him.

"Anyway, it's getting late. We should probably turn in for the night," Halcen said. He could feel his body demanding it.

"Very well. Loyola, why don't you come upstairs with me? You can have my other son's room for the night. And you two can take the extra beds," Miriane motioned to the makeshift beds she had put together for Grey, Bo, and Kazuki to rest in the other room.

So they all turned in for the night and made sure to get as much rest as they could. Halcen slept surprisingly well. He had been through a long trial over the past few days, and he very much needed the sleep.

Halcen awoke to the sounds of conversation and the smell of cooking. He opened his eyes and sat upright. Next to him, the three injured men still slept. He wondered how much longer it would take for them to wake up. It had only the one night so far. They would probably need longer to heal.

He got up to find Miriane in the kitchen with Loyola.

"Good morning," Halcen said.

Miriane turned to say "Good morning" back while Loyola remained focused on her task.

"Where's Jory?" he asked.

"He went to check on Bailu and the ship," Loyola said.

"Sounds good."

After another few minutes had passed, Halcen heard someone walking up behind him with a limp. He turned around quickly to see Bo, big smile and bright eyed. "Oh, man! That smells good!" he said with enthusiasm.

"Bo!" Halcen said astounded. He threw his arms around the man in a big hug. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Uhm… yeah. You too." He returned the hug half-heartedly. "Are _you_ okay?" he asked, pulling out.

"Yeah, uhm…" Halcen cleared his throat and then tried to look to masculine. He lowered his voice and said "Yeah, you know… just worried about you."

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine, so there's no need to worry about me. I've been through worse." He patted Halcen on the shoulder with a big smile. "I _am_ starving though."

"Food'll be ready in a few," Loyola called from the kitchen.

Bo took a look around. "Where are we?" he asked lowly just to Halcen.

"Oh, right. Come here," He dragged Bo to the kitchen to introduce him to Miriane. "This is Miriane. She's been taking care of us. She's the one that got you all wrapped up," Halcen said motioning to the bandages all over his body.

"Oh… would you look at that," he said, for the first time noticing. He looked back up to the woman and said "Well thank you very much."

"It was no problem, dear. How're you feeling?"

"I'm good," he said, nodding. "What about the others? I saw Kazuki and Grey in the other room. Are they… okay?"

Halcen paused for a moment. Doubt glared across his face.

"They'll be fine," Miriane reassured him. "They had it the worst, but they're both strong willed. They'll be alright. They're just going to need more rest than anybody else. They'll probably be up at least by dinner-time."

"Well that's good," Bo said, happily. "Where's everyone else?"

"Well Bailu's staying on the ship, Jory went to check on him, and..."

And then they heard ruffling upstairs.

All their heads turned in snap toward the noise.

Loyola left the kitchen and came around to the stairs.

There she was.

"Valentina!" Loyola cried out as she rushed to the woman at the bottom of the stairs, throwing her arms around her.

"Hi," Valentina laughed as she returned the embrace.

"I was so worried," the older woman cried, tears filling her eyes. "I was so scared. I thought I would lose you."

The pink-haired woman reassured her old friend. "I'm okay. I'm okay," she said patting Loyola on the back. And then she caught sight of Halcen. Her eyes met his. "I'm okay…" she stepped aside and walked towards him.

Halcen gulped.

"Because of you," she said as her voice choked. She had tears in her own eyes. She threw her arms around his neck and put all her weight into the hug. "Thank you… so much."

Halcen could feel his heart racing. There was something caught in his throat, so he had a hard time mustering words. His brain went numb and he couldn't think of the right thing to say. "Yeah… no problem," was all he could muster.

And they stood for another moment in silence, the world frozen around them. Valentina finally peeled herself off of Halcen. She stood still, just staring at him.

"So…um… how do you feel?" He asked, concerned. "You were out for a long time."

"Yeah…" She rubbed her neck, going over the memories. "Domian kept injecting me with this weird stuff. It was… It was intense."

"Do you feel like it's gone now?"

She looked at the ground and gave herself a quick mental scan. "I… think so." And then she looked back into Halcen's eyes. "I feel a lot better."

Halcen gulped again. He could feel his body trembling. His mind raced… and he suddenly remembered. He took his right hand and reached into his pocket and dug something out. He reached his hand across and opened it to show Valentina. There in the palm of his hand, sat a little black and white ceramic figurine. "You dropped this."


	16. Going Forward

**SO... I DID change the name of this story. I felt the new title fit much better to the overall theme of the story. "Black Ranks" is more of an Act in the later parts of the story... YEARS from now. I personally think the name "Of Gods and Monsters" is just epically badass (if I do say so myself).**

 **Anyway... as always, I do not currently own One Piece. But if Oda sees this: I challenge you to a duel, sir! Winner takes rights to both stories. ;)**

* * *

Going Forward

Everyone stood in Miriane's living room, gathered around their newly awakened crew member. Valentina pulled herself from Halcen and turned to face the rest of the house. With all the faces staring at her, she started to feel a bit overwhelmed. "I'm fine," she squeaked out.

"Come here," Miriane said, taking a step toward Valentina with her hands up. "I better double check."

Valentina looked to the old woman. "I'm sorry… who are you?"

"She's the one that's been taking care of us," Halcen said from behind her. "Valentina, this is Miriane."

"Oh, hello."

"Yes, yes, nice to meet you too," Miriane pushed. "Now come here and let me check your vitals."

Valentina gave Halcen a confused look.

Halcen nodded.

So Valentina did as ordered and walked up to the old woman.

Miriane began examining the young woman. It took a few minutes, but finally, she said "Everything seems fine to me."

"Hey, Valentina's okay!" a voice broke the frozen scene from the front door.

They all turned to see Jory.

"Jory," she said happily. "You're okay too."

The younger guy walked into the room and took a look around. "Hey Bo, what do you know?"

Bo sighed, closed his eyes, and hung his head, shaking it slowly. "Don't say that…"

"Fair enough," the young man said, patting the sniper on the shoulder. "I'm glad you're up. Are the others…?"

"Still asleep," Miriane told him.

"Alright."

"How's Bailu and the ship?" Halcen asked.

"Well, everything is in perfect working order, especially Bailu's attitude. We can leave whenever. We're pretty much out of most of our supplies. We only packed enough to make it to Loguetown, cause that's where we planned on restocking, but with the extra few days we spent here... and it's still at least half a week trip from here. And with all these people, we're gonna be scrapping real thin until we actually get there."

"That doesn't sound very assuring," Halcen said out loud. _If we run out of food and water, things are going to get bad. It's not that long of a trip without, but it's not something I wanna risk with people I've never dealt with in a tight situation like this…_

"Well," Miriane said, chiming in, "I'm sure you guys could just salvage whatever you need from the homes and stores in the area."

"Could we?" Halcen asked.

"I don't see why not. It's not like there are enough people around to get through them before stuff starts to spoil. We're gonna rebuild here, but it won't be that fast."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure it'll be just fine."

"Thank you." Halcen turned to the others. "But we still have to wait for Grey and Kazuki to wake up. I don't wanna be moving them until they've healed. We don't need to cause extra damage."

"Sounds fine to me."

So after they had all eaten, Miriane had the kids of the town come to aid the pirates in getting supplies for their trip. They were headed to Loguetown being low on supplies, and it was still quite far away. They needed to make sure they'd have enough for the trip, or they'd all starve by the time they got there. It was only a few days away, but they still needed to keep their strength up. Plus, anything they could get for free out of this town, they wouldn't need to buy in Loguetown, so it was a money-saver to get what they could here.

Halcen decided to keep the Devil Fruit on himself, tied across his waist in a sling, rather than leaving it on the ship. The thing seemed so small and innocent, but this single piece of fruit had caused a mass commotion in their trip to this island. He knew it would be better kept safe in his own possession than stored on the Black Tail for anybody's taking. He knew how greedy people could get over Devil Fruits. He'd learned the hard way.

His crew rummaged through the houses of the no longer existing people, taking mostly food and drinks. There wasn't much of monetary value; no gold or jewelry. This island didn't seem big on those things. Maybe it was that their "god" thought it was sinful to have those kinds of things pervade their society. Halcen couldn't imagine a life like that.

They also decided to loot the supply stores, like the wood store Halcen had been forced to purchase from. He decided it best to make sure they had everything they might need in case another accident happened and they wouldn't have to pull over to ask for help.

They managed to salvaged more than a week's worth of food and drag it down to the ship. Halcen helped carry it all back to the ship with Jory, Loyola, and Bo. Bo carried the least because of his injuries, but he was still help enough. Valentina was told to stay at the house and rest.

While one of the children was leading Halcen between the houses, he stopped and looked up at the man. The kid was maybe ten, short, and a little pudgy with short brown hair. He said to Halcen "Hey mister," he said lowly.

Halcen looked down at the kid. "Yeah?"

His chubby head looked around, trying to make sure nobody was around to hear him. "I heard you were looking for candy."

Halcen's mind rang with the word. _Candy._ His beady eyes stared at the kid. "I might have mentioned it."

"I have a stash," the little voice eked out.

 _Get to the point, kid._ "Is there a reason you're telling me?"

He nodded. "You can have some."

"Oh?" his ears perked up like a dog.

The kid pulled out a plastic bag from one of his many pockets. The "stash" was rather meager, but there were a few random pieces of this and that; stuff Halcen had been dying for. He opened the small bag, reached in, and began rummaging through, surely not wanting to give up his own favorites. Finally, he took a few pieces out.

"What do you want for it?"

The little boy shook his head. "I don't need anything."

"Then what's the catch?"

The kid looked at Halcen in confusion. "You did a lot to help us. And you didn't ask for a reward. So you can have this as a thank you." He placed the small pieces of candy in Halcen's hand. One was a simple bite-sized piece of milk chocolate, another was a piece of pink taffy, and the last one was a hard candy to suck on.

Halcen's eyes glowed wide over the treasure. "This is mine?" he whispered.

The boy nodded his head.

Halcen's urges told him to down the candy all at once right there. His pulse pounded for the sweets and his mouth began to water. But he only had three pieces and he didn't know when he might be able to get more. _I can have one piece now and I'll save the others for later._ He picked the taffy and unwrapped it, then shoved it in his mouth. The sweet fruity taste, the chewy texture. He had to force himself to take slow bites to savor it. He lost himself for a few moments and finally came to when it was all gone. He looked back at his hand and shoved the other two in his pocket. They would be his reward for other things.

"Thank you," he said to the child.

The rest of the day was spent continuing to salvage supplies for their trip. It took hours and hours with just the few of them, dragging stuff down the levels and going all the way back up again, and repeating the same process. They had carts to pull the bigger stuff, but the whole process was still tiring. The kids helped carry a little bit too, mainly only with light stuff like food.

Halcen and the others returned to Miriane's house halfway through the day for a quick lunch, but then got right back to work.

 _We're on a time crunch,_ Halcen reminded himself. _Shanks is more than a week ahead of us. We have to get off this island and to Loguetown fast so we don't lose his scent._

By the time Halcen felt like they had appropriated everything they would need, it was getting dark, and he could smell the food cooking from Miriane's house. He walked slowly down the couple levels of the town to her house. When he opened the door, and said "I'm back," he was delighted by the scene before him.

Ahead of him, in one of the chairs, being looked over by Miriane, was Kazuki. He had finally woken up.

In the kitchen, Loyola was working on the food. Valentina was sitting on the couch opposite Kazuki.

"Kazuki!" Halcen exclaimed. "You're okay!"

Kazuki winced. "Yeah, I'm fine. But could you not yell? I have a massive headache."

"He's got a concussion," Miriane stated. "So he's gonna need more time before he jumps back into any action. His bones are also still healing, but those should be fine in the next few days. He's a trooper."

"Oh, sorry," Halcen said, lowering his voice.

"Where's everybody else?" Kazuki asked quietly.

"Well Jory and Bo are helping load stuff. They're most likely on their way back now. Bailu is still on the ship. He flat out refuses to come up here. Says it's too much on his body to walk this much. I guess that's why he works on boats."

Valentina let out a little laugh.

"So Bo's okay?"

"Yeah… everybody is gonna be fine…" Halcen drifted off.

"I saw Grey was still out," Kazuki said, addressing the bad. "How long's it been?"

"Only the one night so far. The fight with Kumajin was only yesterday. I figured you guys would be out longer, but I hoped not. You two really took the worst of it."

And then the door opened once more, Jory and Bo walked inside to see Kazuki up and well.

Bo stood in silence for a moment, but his eyes sparked up. "Good to see you're okay," he said with control.

"You too," the other nodded toward his comrade.

"Quell the enthusiasm," Miriane said, still standing next to Kazuki.

"Sorry." Bo laughed it off and then walked in and sat down. "So we're all good to go then?"

"I just gotta take it easy for a bit."

"That's fine. I'm sure once we get to Loguetown, they're gonna force us off duty for a bit anyway."

"That's true," Kazuki said, nodding. "The bureaucratic bullshit we're gonna have to go through... ugh. It's gonna be so annoying."

"Well, I think it'll all be fine. Just gotta get it over with. Then we can go back to work."

"Yeah…" Kazuki drifted out.

"So we're all set to go?" Bo asked Halcen.

"Not quite. Grey's still out."

"Oh…" Bo looked down. "How much longer do you think it'll take?" he asked Miriane.

"Well if you all would have shut up, I could've slept in _longer_ ," a deep voice joked from the other side of the room.

They all looked to see the tall older man standing up straight, covered in bandages, the same as the others.

"Grey," Halcen said low in surprise. "You're okay."

Grey nodded slowly. "As are you… thank God."

"It was you two we were worried about," Halcen pointed out.

Grey bowed his head toward them. "I'm sorry for causing worry."

Halcen eyed the man up and down.

"Well, I better look you over too, to make sure you really are good," Miriane said, walking towards the man twice her height.

"And who might you be?" Grey asked, kindly.

"This is Miriane," Halcen said. "She's been taking care of us. She was Lenny's wife."

"Lenny?" Grey looked down at Miriane in horror. His face flustered as his emotions overcame him. Grey dropped to the ground and knelt before the old woman. "I…. I am so sorry," he choked.

"Hold on here," Miriane said, waving her hands. "This is all very… odd."

"It's my fault he was killed, ma'am," Grey said.

"And just how might that be?" Miriane asked sarcastically.

"Grey…?" Halcen said lowly.

"I forced him to tell us about the island and the Bear God. He was killed for betraying them."

"Forced?" Miriane laughed. "My Leonard sat down on that dock everyday for years, waiting to warn unwary travelers. There's nothing you could have pried out of him that he wasn't already willing to tell you."

Grey looked up to Halcen, unable to come up with the words. He turned his attention back to Miriane. "That might be… but I put extra pressure on him and…"

"Whatever transgressions you fear you committed, you are forgiven," Miriane said, calmly. "My husband knew the risks to his own self when he tried to warn the others. He did the same with you. This time, he got caught. I don't think he would have blamed you."

Grey gulped. "Still…"

"Enough of this," she said a little more sternly. Halcen could tell she was getting a bit agitated. Then she recomposed herself. "All is forgiven," Miriane said lowly. "Now… would you please stand up, so I can get back to checking your condition?"

Grey nodded, then stood up.

Miriane led him to the couch, and he sat down while she began her work. "Well, you are still in quite a bad condition, but you'll get better in time. The main concern is your stomach; it could reopen if you get too rambunctious. So make sure you take it easy. The rest of it is just a lot of bruising, which should heal naturally in a while." She motioned to Halcen. "Make sure he holds off for a couple weeks, just to be sure. I'm sure as pirates, you've got a lot going on, but if he bleeds out, he'll die."

Halcen nodded. "I'll make sure. But he's okay?"

She nodded back and smiled. "He'll be fine."

"Good." Halcen looked back to Grey. "Do you want to step outside with me for a minute?"

"Oh... yeah, I guess." The First Mate smiled as he stood up, but a glimpse of worry shot through his eyes and his heart thumped.

"Ooooooh, Grey's in trouble," Bo laughed.

Jory and Kazuki laughed along with him.

"You guys stay here," Halcen said flatly.

Bo shot looks around the group. "Maybe we're the ones in trouble," he said in a low, joking voice.

Halcen just shook his head and rolled his eyes as he left the building. He closed the door behind them and started walking. "Walk with me."

Grey gave him a curious look. "What's going on?"

"I need to talk to you."

"Okay…?"

"I realized something… during the battle with Kumajin."

"Oh?"

"That moment… when Kumajin tore into you…"

"Yeah…" Grey rubbed his stomach. "Wasn't fun."

"It was staged."

Grey looked up in shock. "Excuse me?"

Halcen turned to look Grey straight in the eye. "Don't lie to me, Grey. I know what happened. You only used enough Haki to prevent him from killing you. You could have stopped it entirely, but chose not to. I watched it play out."

"What are you-?"

"Don't treat me like an idiot."

Grey's face went flat.

"You did the same thing when we were attacked by the Marines," Halcen's voice threw aggression hard. "You've been intentionally holding back since we left the Moby Dick, and I don't know why. I could have died in this fight. I was counting on you, and you _let_ him gut you. You put yourself out of commission on purpose in the middle of a life and death fight. And I almost died because of it."

Grey's face twitched. "But you didn't."

"Cause I pulled off a miracle at the last second."

"You give yourself too little credit."

"And apparently I gave _you_ too much. I thought, being who you were, you would give this everything you had. But you're still just the same old lazy fuck you were when I first met you! I thought you'd changed, I thought you'd reawakened the fire inside of you. But you… you just keep proving you can't handle it."

"You really think that? I was the _only_ one that came with you. Doesn't that count for something?"

"Not if you keep putting my life in danger. Then you're just a saboteur."

"Sabotage? You think that's why I came with you? To get you killed? That's a little paranoid, don't you think?"

"What else am I supposed to think? You let me almost die twice now."

"I'm trying to get you to be able to handle things yourself. _You're_ the Captain. You have to be able to handle the big bads yourself."

"I don't wanna hear it! You fucked me over and I don't trust you. From now on, you don't do anything. I'm gonna do this without you. I'll let you off at Loguetown with the others. You can find your way from there."

Grey's face broke out in red. "You're kicking me out?"

"I don't have any other choice, Grey. You're clearly not as dedicated to this path as I am. You can go back to Whitebeard if you want… I don't care."

Grey's body shook with rage. "You can't be serious."

"Deadly." Halcen turned and walked off, leaving his back to the old man.

Halcen returned to Miriane's house. He could smell the sweet scent of dinner. This was one small thing he was still able to enjoy: getting something in his stomach. Just another bad day in the long string he'd been having.

Dinner passed without him saying more than a few words. The others talked about their parts in the battle and the end result of Halcen finally finishing Kumajin off. They all seemed impressed with Halcen's final move in the last moment. He shrugged it off. He wasn't trying to get their attention. He just wanted to move on.

When he was done eating, he stood up, interrupting their conversation. "We're going to leave bright and early tomorrow. We have everything we need for the trip. We'll be heading straight to Loguetown. You guys can hop off there," he nodded towards the snipers.

"Sounds good to us," Bo said cheerfully. He was finally going home.

"I'm going to sleep now. You all can turn in when you're ready." Halcen walked out of the room, and down the hall to Miriane's extra room where she had set up their beds. He laid down, exhausted, but his mind still racing. There was so much to do, so much to plan.

The Chaos Pirates Captain gathered his crew together in the morning light at the docks. Everything was packed and ready to go. They were all boarding the Black Tail, one at a time. Everyone was accounted for this time.

Halcen looked to Miriane, the old woman that had aided them in their recovery. "Thank you, ma'am."

"Ma'am? Boy, don't make me get crazy on you."

Halcen chuckled. "But really though, I appreciate the help. We would have likely lost a few lives without your aid."

"It was no problem, really. Now get on out of here before I change my mind and have you attacked by an army of children."

Halcen chuckled again. "Sounds good." He turned his back toward the island and began his own boarding onto his ship. "Let's get out of here!" he called to his crew. "Make way for Loguetown!"

Cheers and whooping came from the majority of the crew. The only two unexcited were Grey and Bailu. Neither of them vocalized it, but they were each going through their own checklists of misery. The others would never have realized.

 _ **BADUP-BADUP!**_

Halcen cocked his head. _What the fuck is that?_

A strange sound emanated from the inside of the ship.

 _ **BADUP-BADUP!**_

"What is that?!" Halcen called to the crew.

Loyola came up from under deck with something in her one hand. "It's a den-den mushi, Captain," she said out loud, bringing the strange device to Halcen.

"Who the fuck is calling _us_?" Halcen took the ugly snail from the woman's hand and answered the call. "Hello?"

"Hey, Halcen! How's it going buddy?" came a raspy voice.

"Max? What the hell do you want?"

"Have you found you buddy Shanks yet?" he asked.

Halcen looked around the deck from person to person. "No. We got… held up."

"Oh, that's too bad. Whereabouts are you, then?"

"We're a few days from Loguetown, about to head there now."

"Right… well see… I need you to go the opposite direction."

"Excuse me?"

"There's a couple guys I need you to pick up for me; owe me money. That kinda thing."

"Can't you have somebody else do it? I'm already way behind schedule."

"Listen buddy, you're the only one I've got in the East Blue with the skills to take care of this. Everyone else I've sent has gotten their asses handed to them. So… _you_ need to get _your_ ass over to Stoneclaw Island, now!"

"Don't talk to me like that, Max. You're not gonna like what happens."

"You don't seem to understand the situation, Halcen. Don't forget, you owe me for the ship and crew."

"And you want to call that in, right now, this soon?"

"They owe me a substantial amount of money. So yes, I'm cashing in now."

Halcen seethed. "I'm not going. I already have enough shit to deal with right now. I'll go after I get done in Loguetown."

"That's another couple weeks. I'm not waiting that long. You get _my_ ship and _my_ crew over there now, and take care of this, or I'm gonna blacklist you."

Halcen gulped. For someone who Halcen could take in an actual fight, Max had resources… that spread far around the world. He could make Halcen's life a living hell. "Fine. Who am I after?"

"Their names are Reisen Jin and Mangetsu Fein. They borrowed money they couldn't pay back, and used it to build themselves a nice little fortress on Stoneclaw island. I want them both, alive."

 _ **Clink!**_

Halcen's face twitched. He looked to Valentina. "You heard him, take us to Stoneclaw Island."

"What the fuck, dude?" Bo shouted.

"Excuse me?" Halcen looked dead at Bo. "Do you want to try again?"

Kazuki spoke up, but calmly. "You promised to take us to Loguetown."

"And I will… _after_ this. I gave my word to Max before you."

"Who the fuck is this Max guy?" Bo asked.

"He's the one that gave me the ship and lent me the crew. Jory, Loyola, Valentina, Bailu… they're all part of Max's company. And I owe him for it. So if I don't do this, we're gonna get taken down. So if you'd rather us be attacked trying to get to Loguetown, we can do that instead. But he's got a fleet of ships bigger and faster than this one. So if you want to get sank, let me know. Or… if you want to swim to Loguetown, you can get out now. Otherwise, shut up, and wait."

Bo looked dead at Halcen in anger, then turned his back and headed down under deck.

"That's what I thought."


	17. On The Edge

**Hey guys! Thank you so much for your patience. Here is the new chapter!... finally. I am sorry it took so long. It should have been posted WEEKS ago. :/ I was trying to get it done before I went on vacation... but you know... life. :/**

 **I did want to let you know ahead of time that the next chapter will be delayed as well. There is this cover contest for this band I love, Our Last Night, and I wanted to enter it. I don't expect to win, by any means, but I do want to give it 100%. So I'm gonna be spending the next couple weeks focused on that. But after I've finished my cover and turned it in, my attention will be refocused back on Halcen's adventure.**

 **As always, I do not own One Piece. And I feel pretty horrible about it. XD**

* * *

On The Edge

The Black Tail sailed across the East Blue's vast waters. Its destination: Stoneclaw Island. This was not the path Halcen wanted to be on. It had only recently been forced on him. But because of who it was that had requested his assistance, he did not have the ability to refuse. This trip north was throwing his entire plan to hell. Halcen had a schedule he was trying to keep. Every moment he wasn't moving towards it, Shanks was getting farther away.

 _I need to get this over with ASAP, so we can get on to Loguetown. Hopefully the trail hasn't already gone cold._

The crew was restless. For Jory, Loyola, Valentina, and Bailu; hearing Max's commands had made them unsettled about being under Halcen's care. What if Max actually did decide turn on Halcen? Would he really hurt them too just to do it? For Bo and Kazuki, this ruined their plan to return home quickly. They needed to get back to Loguetown with all haste, to try to stop whatever trouble they were sure to be in. For Grey, this presented an opportunity to think on his options, and none of them seemed very good.

It was late one night. Halcen was passing down below deck, leaving the kitchen. In need of a caffeine fix, he had gone to brew some coffee. It was hard and bitter. Coffee wasn't his thing, but he needed something to keep himself stable. He had been having bad insomnia the past couple nights. He was only able to get a couple hours of sleep. All this stress was eating at him, and everyone could see it.

Nobody else was awake, or so he thought. He walked out toward the stairs to deck, but was stopped.

"Halcen," came a soft voice, practically a whisper. It was Valentina.

"What do you need?" he asked short.

"I just wanted to talk to you."

"About?"

"I… just…" She sighed, almost giving up. Then she took another breath and straightened herself. "I feel like… there's something going on here… between you and I. And I just wanted to know if you felt it too?"

Halcen turned to look at the woman in the low light of the light in the kitchen. It was hard, but he could make out her expression. It was light, hopeful. He hated it. "Excuse me?" he asked, with a harsh tone.

"I feel like there's something happening between us… I can't be the only one that feels it… am I?"

Halcen sighed. "There's nothing going on here," he said, shaking his head. "We're just crewmates." He tried to walk away from her, but she grabbed him by the arm.

Valentina pulled herself toward him. "You risked your life for me. You put everything on the line for _me_. I've never had anyone do that."

Halcen tried, and failed, to keep his voice flat. "You're a crew member. I'm the Captain. I'm responsible for your safety. I did what I had to in order to keep you safe."

"Don't lie to me!" she snapped, raising her voice a bit. "That wasn't it. There's something here, I know it. I could feel it when you showed up. You wouldn't have gone off on your own like that if there wasn't."

"It was a mistake," Halcen nearly yelled.

"Wh—what?"

"By doing that, I risked my own life, and put the rest of the crew in danger. It was a bad move. I shouldn't have done it. But I was overcome by emotion. I made a mistake."

"So, you _don't_ want this"

"I do… that's the problem. I can't have all this shit weighing me down when I need to make the hard decisions. I've got enough going on without having to worry about you on top of it."

"So that's what I am to you? Just a distraction?" her face twitched, tears began to form, and her voice cracked. "So what then… we just go on pretending like nothing happened?"

Halcen answered with a flat response. "I think we should just have a purely professional relationship."

She gulped hard and then nodded, then ran off toward the washroom where she could cry alone in the dark.

Halcen sat in the crow's nest, watching the horizon. It had been two full days trip since they had set out from Bear Island. Finally, after a long and tiring, nearly silent trip, it came into view. It was not called "Stoneclaw" for no reason. The island was a single rock formation that reached out from the ocean floor into the shape of a three-fingered claw reaching towards the sky, almost like it was trying to attack the sun. The mountain mass was relatively small in diameter, but it was its height that made it stand out. A rocky spire.

"Land ho!" Halcen called.

The crew went into a frenzy, prepping for the landing process.

 _This is going to suck,_ Halcen thought to himself. He could see that there was little actual land on the island. Being all rock meant he'd have to climb it the hard way. He didn't want to deal with that. "Find a spot that has at least a little bit of a beach!" Halcen called to Valentina.

"Yes, Captain!" she shouted back, quite spitefully.

They glided across the waters to the rocky island. Valentina was able to find a small piece of sandy beach. From it, it went to a patch of tall grass that was interrupted by large rocks. Then it went straight up toward the sky. Halcen gulped, knowing he was going to have to climb this. He had climbed a cliff side when rescuing Valentina, but he was in an adrenaline rush, in a mad dash to rescue her.

Halcen looked to the woman and felt a petty, overwhelming anger. He shook his head and tried to focus. He had gotten in trouble over her once already. He needed to keep a clear head.

Finally, the Black Tail came up to the shore, its bow dug into the sand. They hurled off the anchor and the other members made preparations for the stay. They could already feel the cold from the mountain emanating towards them.

Grey got his pack ready and came to Halcen.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Going… with you?" Grey said, now confused. "You're gonna need help."

"No, I need you to stay here with the ship."

"Why?" Grey asked aloud. People took notice.

Halcen lowered his voice to keep himself from being overheard. "You know why." Then he took a deep, calming breath, turned to the rest to the crew, and began going over the details.

Grey was left standing in the background, infuriated.

Jory came to Halcen. "At least let me come. You're gonna need backup."

"No, Jory." He turned to the rest of the crew. "Listen!" He said loudly, getting the attention of even the snipers. "This is _my_ debt to pay to Max. I do not think it appropriate for me to force any one of you to come with me, and risk your own selves for this. Especially being the four of you work _for_ Max. Not to mention, each of you is pretty badly injured. I'm the only one fit enough to make the climb and get back into combat."

They all kinda just nodded along, getting the point.

"You can all stay here, I'll go alone. If I don't come back in two days, go back to Corteano and let Max know I'm dead."

"Halcen!" Grey shouted.

"What?"

"Do you really think this is a good idea? Last time you went off on your own, you got captured and we had to come save you."

"I remember. But I think…" and Halcen made an emphasis on the next words, for Grey's benefit, "that _me_ being the Captain, means _I_ need to be able to handle the big problems myself. Wouldn't you agree?"

Grey gulped.

"I'll take my chances alone. Everyone else _stays here_." Halcen went down below deck to make ready for his trip. He needed to get nice and bundled up for the climb. It was going to get extra cold up there so he put on a heavy coat, thicker pants, boots, gloves, and a beanie. There were also quite a few new toys he had picked up from their pillaging of Bear Island that he made sure to have just in case. Finally, he tied the Devil Fruit around his waist, making sure to take that with him as well. He was wary enough leaving the Black Tail alone with an entire group of people who owed him no allegiance, but the Devil Fruit power, he would not chance them getting their hands on and using against him. He had dealt with enough of that already.

Halcen dropped off the front side of the ship.

Everyone watched in anxiety as Halcen headed out by himself.

After a few minutes, he was out of sight.

Halcen began his ascent up the heinous mountains. This was not a trip he was looking forward to.

"Fucking Max," he grumbled to himself. "I ought to stab that fucker when I see him." He went on and on for a few minutes. He was angry. He had come so close to Loguetown and finding Red-Hair. Now, he was getting thrown to the farthest corner of the East Blue to go pick up these random dudes that nobody else could take care of. Halcen cursed his bad luck.

His body lunged and latched as he climbed up the first level. His sturdy limbs flung his body up and up until he reached a spot he couldn't handle himself with his own bare body. So he got his gear ready. With some further tinkering, Loyola had managed to improve the previously used grappling gear. The rope was now metal cord, and the hook itself was much sturdier. This was going to help on Halcen's new mission.

He grunted and groaned as he climbed up the staggering cliff sides.

 _Motherfuckers had to be out here in the middle of fucking nowhere, on the top of a goddamn mountain. I am gonna kick somebody's ass when I get up there._

As he went it began getting cold. The higher he got, the worse the winds whipped. Thank God he had been prepared with the insulated clothes.

After what felt like hours, Halcen finally made it up to a niche that cut into the mountain. He rolled over the edge and laid down flat on the snow-laden ground. He took a deep breath. "Finally," he said in exhaustion. He turned his head to look back over the edge where he had just entered through. The sun was getting far into the west. It was evening. The sun would begin its descent soon. He needed to make camp. He was too tired to make anymore headway this day.

He stood up and took a look around the area. There wasn't much going on. It was just a slightly flat area that opened up from the stony side of the mountain. The ground was hard, mostly stone, but there was a couple inches of snow that made it a little more difficult. The worst thing though was he could feel ice underneath that had grown hard over the stone.

His body shivered and shook. Halcen decided to get a small fire started. It wasn't much, but it was enough. He sat over it for a few minutes, trying to get warm.

He found a small enclave of boulders deeper into the niche and threw some canvas over it for a tent for the night. It was only big enough for him to squeeze into lengthwise, so he couldn't put the fire there as well. His body was strong, but he wasn't immune to the cold.

Halcen awoke to the sounds of scratching. His body shot into an awakened state. He stared at the entrance to the rock insert he was in. Light came shining in from the other side of the canvas tarp he had put over the rocks, which meant it was morning. At least he'd gotten a full night's sleep before being awoken. There was something outside.

He could hear from multiple spots around the area, scratching and sniffing. He tried to reach out with his Sensory Haki but he wasn't calm enough to accurately read the situation. All he could tell were there were at least four – maybe five – animals of some kind.

He tried to hold still and hold his breath. If they left, he could move on unhindered.

But that did not happen.

Something jumped in through the canvas screen that was over the rocks, startling him. Halcen shot up and began fumbling to the top of the rocks, pulling the screen out of the way. It was flung aside by a vicious white wolf. It barred its teeth and growled at Halcen as it tried to climb up the stones after him.

Halcen's face exploded in surprise. "What the fuck?" There was an actual wolf right there… attacking him. He quickly climbed all the way up to the top of the stone cave and stood up to look down. There were five wolves… all standing around the area, still, staring up at him.

And then a sixth one jumped at him from the side. Apparently it had been at the top, waiting for him. It tackled him, knocking him off the stone and they crashed to the ground. The dog whimpered and Halcen let out a huff. He was in shock. All this action and he hadn't even really woken up yet. _What the hell is going on here?_

Halcen twisted onto his back just in time to stop the wolf that had tackled him from tearing into him. He put his arm out and grabbed the beast's throat, forcing it to let out a whine. Halcen looked angrily at the wolf. It was too well kept to be wild. Its hair was groomed and glossy. This beast was trained. Someone had sent this pack after him. He flung the animal across the way and it smacked into the side wall, giving out one last whimper before it went out. It wasn't dead, but it would stay down for a while.

Halcen stood up quickly to check his situation. The other five were slowly stalking towards him. "Alright!" he slammed his fists together and his entire body shot over with black Haki. "Come on!" he shouted.

And one of the wolves lunged at him, with its snout open, ready to tear into Halcen.

He threw out his left arm and the dog bit down on him there. He could barely even feel the pressure. He laughed. _Kumajin had a much more painful bite._ Then he punched the mutt in the ribs with full force, knocking it to the side. He could tell he had broken some bones, but it would probably live.

The others stared at him in pause, unsure how to proceed. Two of their pack had been taken out already. This man was strong. Nothing had fazed him yet. They needed to be smart about their next move.

Halcen stood with his back to the rock wall, surrounded and unable to get on without a fight. _I don't have time for this shit. I gotta find these guys and get outta here. I've got too much to do to be stuck down here._ He could sense the general vicinity of where the men he was after were. His Haki told Halcen they were still much higher up the mountains. These wolves had surely been sent by them to take him out. There must have been some kind of security system that had alerted them Halcen was there. _No wonder nobody else could hack it._

Halcen braced himself as all four wolves rushed him at once. He was backed against the wall; nowhere to run. But he was strong enough to take them on.

He swung his left arm out and smashed one of the wolves in the face with his rock-solid fist.

It got knocked back but was able to get back up.

Another one came straight at Halcen from the front, going for his groin with bared teeth. The pirate swung his right leg up and kicked the bitch in the face, causing it to back out.

The one on his far right took advantage of the opening and leapt on him. It tried to dig its claws into his body and then snapped its teeth down on Halcen's shoulder. It let out a whimper, letting Halcen know that it had hurt the beast more than himself. It hurt its own mouth.

"Get off me, bitch!" Halcen shouted as he grabbed the mutt by its back and slammed it into the ground.

It fumbled to stand back up and then ran back to the protection of the pack. They stood there staring at him.

Halcen noticed the one in the center hadn't moved yet. It stood, staring deeply at the man. Halcen admitted, he looked quite regal. This was their alpha. This was their strongest. He had yet to make a move, but he was going to be a bitch to get rid of.

The others cowered in the background as Halcen squared off with their pack leader. The white wolf leant in slightly, lowering his head and baring his teeth; signaling he was ready. He stared intensely into the intruder's eyes.

Halcen bent his knees, preparing for the bout.

The alpha took off faster than any of the others had proven capable. It didn't try to tear into Halcen, instead it aimed to wear him down. It rammed it's forelegs into Halcen's chest, making him stumble back into the rock wall, his head jerking backwards and bashing into the stone.

Regardless of the Haki, the stone still hurt. Halcen cussed out loud.

The beast was still on him though. Halcen grabbed its wrists and threw it off of him.

The alpha was pushed back, but still landed on all four paws, skidding back a few feet.

Halcen charged it, still coated in black Haki. He whipped his foot at the hound's head, and knocked it off its legs, sliding across the icy stone on its side. Halcen tried to follow up by running towards it, but wasn't able to get a steady sprint on the ice.

The alpha was able to get back up before Halcen reached it.

Halcen drove down his fist, trying to hit it, but the wolf raced around behind Halcen's back, swiping his leg. He fell to his one knee and lost control.

 _Damn this beast! He's got the upper hand. I'm not used to fighting in this environment. I don't have claws to keep me flat._

The beast slashed at Halcen's back. The claws went deep, almost cutting through his Haki altogether. The swipe went all the way down to Halcen's waist, tearing his coat along the way. In the fray, Halcen lost the Devil Fruit. It had been wrapped around his waist, and the alpha just cut through the cloth holding it to him.

 _Dammit!_ Halcen shouted in his head as he watched the little red fruit roll down towards the outside ledge. He gulped hard and tried to push off. His foot slipped and he went sliding down the small hill towards the ledge as well.

The wolf saw the fruit fall from his enemy's waist and chased after it. He had little trouble reaching the fruit. He stood still, sniffing it, while eying Halcen. This was new to him, clearly.

 _Dear god, don't do it._ Halcen shook his head slowly, as he stood back up in front of the alpha. He was only about two feet away from the black-starred fruit. Halcen stared intensely, his pulse pounding. If the wolf got it first, he knew he would be in big trouble. He had no idea what powers this thing carried, but all Devil Fruits had devastating powers. He needed to get it back before the wolf decided to eat it.

The wolf made a move.

Halcen dove.

An elbow hit the mutt in the mouth before it was able to get its jaws around the fruit. Halcen's right arm wrapped around the fruit and he began to slide uncontrollably toward the same ledge he had barely managed to climb up the night before.

Halcen saw he was going over. He moved his left arm as fast as he could, grabbed his knife, twisted his body around, and jabbed the blade down into the stone, smashing through the ice. It slowed him down, but it wasn't enough, his body continued to go over. He tightened his grip on the knife and pushed his Haki into the knife, creating a stabilizing effect. He stopped only after the majority of his body was already over. He hung with his arm and shoulders trying to pull up the rest of his body.

Halcen watched as the alpha stalked toward him.

 _I need to get back up, now!_

He finally pulled his legs back up and stood up one more time. He took a deep breath. _That was too close._

The other wolves stood in the background, panting and staring. None of them had been able to get over on the intruder. But their leader… he was much stronger.

 _I don't know what this bitch is on, but I'm gonna take him down. If I can take down a forty-foot bear god, I can handle one wolf._

Halcen resheathed his knife, cutting its tie to the Haki. He could focus better this way. He knelt down to one knee. He wrapped his arm around the Devil Fruit, making sure he couldn't lose it. The possibility of one of these animals getting Devil Fruit powers… Halcen was sure it would be too horrible to face.

Halcen pushed off, all his body a black blur, flew over the ground toward the intimidating white wolf.

The alpha saw it coming. He was faster than the man. He dodged to the left, letting Halcen run right past him.

Halcen jerked hard to stop as the wolf was behind him, trying to ready another strike.

The beast pounced on his back, digging its teeth into his left shoulder. This one hurt too. His Haki was waning already. He could feel it. Halcen panted.

 _Fuck. I'm still not fully recovered from my fight with Kumajin._

He could feel the strong teeth actually beginning to penetrate. Blood started to pool as the animal went wild on him, shaking its head rabidly, trying to tear apart his flesh. The red blood dripped down his black body.

"No," he grunted. "Get… up," he told himself. He pushed with his feet to try to get back up, but the wolf was going crazy on him. "GET OFF!" Halcen shouted as he swung his left arm in an arc, smacking the mutt in the face, pushing it off him.

Halcen turned quick underneath to shove a quick kick straight backward with his right leg. It hit the wolf in the face. Then with as much force as he could, with his left arm alone, he thrust down, pushing his own body in the air, twisting toward the wolf, who was stunned by the first two hits.

His left arm came down atop the alpha's head like a hammer from the sky, bashing him down into the ground with a sharp howl.

Halcen landed to the side with a rough "Agh." He twisted himself back to stand up, standing over the alpha. The beast was unconscious. Halcen stared down, just to be sure, he put his boot on the mutt's neck and pushed down. After a moment of it not moving, Halcen said lowly, "I win."

Then he turned to stare down the rest of the pack. And slowly, almost panting, Halcen asked "Who's next?"

The animals began to back up into growling submission, and then they all ran off, one by one.

"Damn right."


	18. Pesky's Playhouse

**I am back with the new chapter! WOOOOOOOTTT!**

 **I did NOT win the cover contest, which I knew was going to happen, so it's okay. I had fun.**

 **BUT... It DID give me the motivation to start another project I had been wanting to do for a few years. I started my own review channel on Youtube for art stuff that I like: Anime, Video Games, Movies, Music, Shows. Stuff like that. SO! You guys should check it out.. or you're dead to me. JK. It's just something to do for fun. So check it out if you want to! :) I'm under the channel name "Nobody's Law."**

 **NOW! ONTO THE CHAPTER! As always, I do not own One Piece. I challenged Oda to a rap battle and he kicked my ass... so... :/** **  
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* * *

Pesky's Playhouse

The young pirate Captain finally stood before a massive metal fortress. It was built over a large, nearly-flat slab of stone that went on for a few hundred feet. He had taken far too long to climb up this cursed mountain. He had endured the heavy snow and the whipping winds. The higher up he had gotten, the harsher the weather had gotten. His body shook from the cold. So he hurried toward the building.

He wandered about, trying to find an entrance from the outside. But the place seemed steel-tight on the outside; no openings to be seen. So he continued searching the area. He was still walking around when his senses alerted him. Something was about to happen. He froze, mid-step. Halcen tried to feel out with his Haki, but he couldn't find anything in the area. So he took a moment to look around him. Upon closer inspection, he saw it: mines. There were tiny little metal heads popping up from the snow that covered the stone. He had wandered into a minefield. _Well, fuck. That's just perfect._

He picked his foot up to see that indeed, there was a head right where his foot was about to go down.

 _Thank God._

Halcen carefully replaced his foot down in the last spot it had it before it was almost blown off. He took a few moments to gather his thoughts and figure his way out. He knew there was a reason they had the minefield there of all places. But thankfully, Halcen was much too alert to fall for it. He proceeded through the field, slowly paced, by taking short steps around the heads of the mines. He balanced himself extremely carefully so as to not make a mistake. One small slip would mean serious injury.

Finally, he arrived on the other side of the building, and out of the minefield. _That's one down. I'm sure they have plenty more to go,_ Halcen told himself.

He continued walking until he arrived at the far side of the massive structure. Just how they had built such a giant all the way up here in the mountain was beyond him. But it was the best fortress he had seen in his life.

Halcen searched desperately for about twenty minutes, searching for a hidden door somewhere. He knew there had to be a secret entrance, but it would take time to find on such a magnificent building. But he didn't have time. So, in frustration, he pulled back a black fist, and thrust it as hard as he could into the metal sheeting of the building… and nothing happened.

Halcen shouted out "DAMN YOU, LET ME IN!"

And then there was a click from underneath, and his body suddenly dropped. Instantly, he was surrounded by darkness and he looked up to see the sky closed in on him. He had the feeling of falling, but could not actually tell where he was or what he was falling into. And then he splashed down into cold liquid.

A bright light suddenly emanated from in front of him, blinding him for a moment. He needed to adjust. He was wading in what looked like water. He was a in a vat of about twenty feet wide with nothing around him. He looked about frantically, then finally saw a window high above him, with two silhouettes staring down at him.

"You bastards! Let me out of here!"

There was no response from the faceless figures. They stood ready.

Halcen looked around, trying to figure out how to get out. The walls went up about fifty feet before the window, but they were so smooth, there was no climbing up it with the gear he brought. He needed to find a way up, and fast. He was already over a day into his climb. He needed to get out of this place as fast as possible.

Then there was the metallic shriek of a machine whirring to life. It was underneath him. He dunked his head down under the water to see a giant metal rotary fan blade beginning to move. There were a total of five blades, and they were massive. Halcen knew, even with his Haki, they would cut him apart.

 _Well fuck._

He rampantly looked about, trying to find anything that might aid him from being decimated by the metallic monster, to little avail. Other than a small ledge, which was only about an inch wide, coming from just above him. It went around the tube that had him trapped in a full circle. He swam for it as quickly as he could. He knew there was little else he could do, but attempt to hang on for dear life.

The water began to drain rather quickly as the fan reached full spinning speed. The water let out at an alarming rate and Halcen barely managed to get the slightest grip on the damned ledge. He looked down to see that the water had already gone all the way down. He grabbed at his knife, charged it with Haki, and stabbed it as hard as he could into the wall, in a vain attempt the pierce the metal and gain himself a foothold. The wall was too dense for his knife. He looked about in another frantic attempt to find _anything_. The _only_ exit, other than through the shredder, was that window. They had put this room here intentionally to kill any intruders to their fortress. Halcen would not let that be him.

He dug into his bag, with only one hand gripping tightly on the ledge. He was beginning to slip. Be he had an idea; a stupid, crazy, dangerous idea, but it was the only plan he had. He pulled out a small bomb in his one hand and held it tightly. He looked very carefully toward the fan.

 _This has to be perfect._

And then he shoved off with his legs from the wall, toward the spinning metal blade, his bomb hand outstretched. His whole body coated itself in rich black Haki.

It all happened in an instant. The bomb Halcen held hit the center of the fan, as it spun, creating a massive blast that tore apart the fan blade, as well as sending Halcen flying back into the air, upwards. He turned his body so he was front side up as he sailed. Halcen was just slightly above the height of the window and he threw all of his might into shooting his body forward toward the window. He smashed through the glass and landed on the ground, rolling on his side until he stopped.

 _Not the most graceful landing, but I'll take it,_ he told himself as he tried to get up. His body wobbled and he fell back down to his knees. He huffed. That blast took a lot out of him, but he was alive. He looked around the dark room. It looked like some kind of control room, with stations full of buttons and levers and screens all around. But nobody was there. The two that had been watching him must have fled when he came up. _Cowards._

He sat back on his ass and spread out his legs to take a breather. He was tired. But he still had a ways to go. Now he had to get through the rest of the building to actually find these two bozos. "This is not why I went off on my own," he griped out loud. "I just wanted to get revenge, kill some pirates, and then go home." He began to stand back up, finally getting his legs under him. "But GOD FORBID anybody wants to make it easy. Fuckers."

Halcen began to walk towards the open door on the other side of the room. His body was slow, but there was no real damage. Just pain. He was sure it would be over in a few hours. He pushed his hand up against the wall as he finally passed through the door to help stabilize himself.

Halcen limped out of the room and down through the hall. The whole inside of the building was plain metal, the same as the outside. They seemed to lack creativity. But they sure had the place locked down. _Wolves, mines, trap doors, murderous fans. These guys are ready. But… I'm plenty capable too._ "They're gonna have to throw a hell of a lot more my way if they really want to take me down."

And as soon as he turned the next corner, he wished he hadn't have said that.

There was another long hallway at the end of the one he had just gone down. But this one didn't have another control room, it held a turret. Off to the side, sticking out of the wall, was big machine gun. It was far too big for a person to carry comfortably. He stepped into the crosshairs and immediately, the gun locked on and began firing. It released heavy bullets in a rapid fire.

Halcen was surprised. The first thing that happened, was he felt something hard and fast hit his left shoulder, and he immediately ducked behind the wall, clutching his shoulder with the opposite arm. He grunted in pain. He was still in his full black Haki armor, but it still hurt. He was already weak from the wolf fight and the blast. He was bleeding, but not badly. The bullet seemed to have only barely penetrated the skin and then bounced off, but that was all it needed.

The wounded pirate cursed to himself. He had to deal with this new contraption as well as the million other things. Things just kept going wrong. He peeped over the edge of the wall to see where the machine rested, hung on the far right side of the end of the wall. Halcen stood to think for a moment. He didn't have much in the way of shielding against this thing.

 _I need to know what this thing can do._

He stuck his arm out from behind the wall and hung it outstretched. The gun saw this and began firing almost immediately. Halcen yanked his arm back to safety but a bullet had grazed him. He grimaced. Of course, the damage wasn't severe, thanks to his Haki.

 _It's powerful and it's motion-detecting. Which means if it can't see me, it can't hit me._

Halcen dug through his bag once again. He had just such an item for this. He took out another random round bomb-looking device. It sat neatly in the palm of his hand. He uncorked the device and tossed it quickly down the hall toward the gun. He knew a simple bomb wouldn't be enough to do decent damage to it. The bullets whizzed toward the entrance of the hall as the bomb bounced down to the hall, missing the bullets. Then there was a loud _**BANG!**_

Halcen peeked around the corner one more time to see the hall covered in a thick fog. He didn't waste time, but raced down the hall, through the fog. Thankfully, his planned had worked. The gun's sensors were blinded, and he was able to ambush it without being hit. He ran towards it and began to tear the thing apart. There were cords and wires and whatnot that all looked pretty important. After a few seconds, the gun powered down and dropped its muzzle towards the ground.

 _Fuck yeah!_

Then Halcen took off down the other hall the gun was trying to protect. Halcen was wearing down; his body was sore, Haki worn down, and in need of a breather. So he pushed up against the wall and sank to his butt. He sat, uncomfortable and sore. _I don't have time for this… but I'm just… so exhausted._

He let his Haki fade as he dug through his pack and pulled out a bottle of dark liquid. He needed a refresher. The tea helped as he downed it. He could feel its revitalizing effects almost instantly. On top of it, he pulled out some poorly crafted rice balls. They were falling apart in their wrappings. Halcen had had to make them himself since he and Grey weren't on good terms. Halcen shook his head to refocus. He forced the far-too-salty rice balls down his throat and choked as they tried fighting back.

Halcen waited a few minutes until he was sure he had digested his snack enough to get back up. He started back toward the wall and wandered through the building. Luckily, it was not very large. He reached the end of a hall and it led him to some stairs that he began to ascend. They curved back around and sent him wandering in the same direction, just a level higher. This was where he was sure to find who he was looking for. He could feel two small energies coming from a distance now. They were here.

Halcen walked slowly, trying to make sure he didn't set off any more traps. This place was a maze of chaos and death. _Their fun little playhouse of hell._

He continued on until he finally came to an open room. It spread across a few dozen feet. It had a high ceiling that went up two stories. And across the way was another window, on the second floor, where he saw the two silhouettes again. He took a minute to gain a little familiarity with the area. It was definitely odd, a random large room there, with nothing in it. He could tell this deception was only going to bring more problems.

He took a deep breath, sighed, and then started walking slowly through the room toward the window. He made it about halfway when he stopped.

"Who are you?" a voice came from speakers ahead of him. The man had a deep, smooth voice. It was almost calming.

"Just a man looking for his place in the grand scheme of things…" Halcen answered quietly.

"I mean, why have you come here? To our base?"

"I was sent."

"By who?"

"Max."

"You're not the first he's sent. But I'll give you that you are the most persistent."

"You should feel honored," Halcen said loudly. "That whyhe sent _me._ Apparently nobody else could cut it."

"We can confirm that," another man said. This one had a raspy, kinda scrappy voice to him. "We've got the bodies to prove it. Our collection of skeletons just keeps growing."

"Sorry to disappoint, but I won't be joining that number."

"And what makes you so special?" the first one asked.

"Why don't you come down and find out?"

"Not my style," he said.

 _ **CLANG!**_

Halcen turned to see that a gate had dropped down over his exit.

"You may be the first to have gotten this far, but you're still no match for what comes next."

Four holes opened up in the floor in the far corners of the room, with four more giant machine guns attached to them.

 _Oh fuck._

And in the same moment, a small door opened up underneath Halcen. It was only a few feet wide, but that was enough to fit him. He dropped down into a small black hole, but his body reacted instantly, refusing to get stuck in another trap. His arms and legs shot out, pushing against the sides of the small hole. He grimaced and ground his teeth with the struggle of not going down. "I can't let this… be it," he told himself. "I won't… go down."

 _Think, Halcen. You need to get out of here. There are four guns waiting for you. There are probably more traps laying about the room. You need to get out without dying. You're tired, sore, injured, Haki draining… How do I get up there without getting blasted?_

A small round object shot up into the air out of the hole where their pirate invader had dropped. The sense of accomplishment and security drained from the men who watched on.

And the guns began blazing. They fired thoughtlessly at the little round bomb. And…

 _ **BOOM!**_

It exploded, showering the area with a layer of smog. And then there was nothing to fire at.

Halcen jumped out from the hole, landed on the ground and began running. The smog was barely enough to cover him in the large area and it was dissipating fast. He had to get this done quickly.

But another trap went off. A bomb under Halcen's foot. In his rush, he didn't think about the minefield. He was sent flying toward the wall he was running toward. He slammed into it without prejudice. His body flailed and crumpled.

 _Of course they would have mines in here too. Damn it!_

He struggled to stand up, and saw that the nearest two guns were already tracking him. He didn't have time to recover. He just bolted towards the one in the far right corner of the room. He ducked behind the weapon as the other one began firing at him. In its confusion, the sensor gun kept blasting at the one he was ducked behind, tearing it apart. But once it could no longer detect Halcen himself, it ceased. But the first gun was already destroyed.

 _One down._

Halcen stayed hidden behind the broken gun, but peeked out for a moment to gaze upon the still standing three. He had an idea. He began tearing apart pieces of the gun to strap them together. He took a few longer chunks of metal and used the wiring to tie them around his arms, legs, feet, and chest.

 _Alright, let's fucking do this_ _ **.**_

Halcen ran out from behind the torn apart gun, his body clanking in his MacGyver'd armor. He was a little slower, but the extra protection paid off. A bomb went off underneath him as he was running, and the metal armor coated him from taking any actual damage. Then, he took control of the blast and aimed himself, and he rocketed toward the next gun. It was already firing on him, but Halcen had his arms up, shielding himself from the bullets. They ricocheted around the room.

He ducked underneath this gun as well, while the other two across the room were still firing. Little metal pellets tore into the machine as its own kind took it out, just as it had taken out the previous one. Halcen was tricking them into destroying each other, one by one, and taking little damage himself in the process. And that was all he needed.

He waited for the gun he was hidden behind to power down after taking numerous shots and the room to go quiet after the other two realized he was no longer in sight.

 _Now there's only two left. They're on the far side… right across from each other. I gotta cross this whole room to get to them. I'm gonna be extremely open._ Halcen sat for a moment, pondering his next move. He looked down at his makeshift armor. It was already worn way too thin. If he went out with it now, it was going to tear, and the bullets and bombs would just hit him anyway. It had worked the once, but now he was going to need something else.

Halcen pushed his Haki into his knife and dug deep into the metal of the floor and pried a large piece of it out. It came out with a loud shriek. A couple feet wide by a couple feet long. It was ragged and jagged but it would work well enough. He didn't need anything fancy right now. It just needed to work.

He rushed out from the corner, holding the metal ahead of him like a shield as the guns began to blaze. He saw the mine ahead. He threw the shield down and jumped on top of it, exposing himself to the bullet fire for a brief moment, but then he was launched high into the air. He soared up over toward the next corner, and descended as the guns tried to get a fix on him. He took out his knife and came down upon the turret with the might of a Haki spear.

The gun exploded with fury as Halcen's Haki was poured through his knife. He rolled off the top of the weapon as the other turret continued to fire.

 _This is it,_ Halcen told himself. _One last gun. Now! Get in there!_

Halcen ran. No shields. No armor. Just him and his Haki. He took a few shots to the chest but they ricocheted off him and he dodged the rest. He grunted with the pain but it was barely enough to make him think. He just ran. And then he was there in front of the gun. He came at it from the bottom, and shoved his knife into it, tearing apart the cord and important pieces. He stabbed it again and again. With barely enough Haki to keep himself covered.

The gun began to freak out. It twitched and jittered until it officially gave up.

Halcen sighed in relief and sheathed his knife. _That's it._ And then he began to laugh, uncontrollably like a madman. He laughed so loud and hard that it put the men who watched from safety on edge.

"I can see why Max sent _you_ ," the smooth voice said over the speaker.

Halcen turned to look up at the window. It was so dark that he couldn't make out their features. Halcen was very tired, so he let his Haki fade. He began to stalk towards the stairs to the side that led to their private room. He knew this was going to be bad. He wasn't in the shape to do anymore fighting.

Halcen finally managed to stagger up the stairs and turn into the room where he finally met the two men he was sent after, that had derailed his plans in Loguetown. These two men had been trying to kill him since he set foot on their island.

The one in front was a couple inches shorter than Halcen, but about a couple inches taller than the one behind him. He had short, spiky white hair and slightly tanned skin. His face was very sharp. He had a sharp nose, sharp chin, sharp ears, sharp yellow eyes, and sharp teeth. He looked to be in his late teens. He was semi-muscular, but not as much as Halcen. He seemed to be a lot more lean muscle than bulk. He stared hatefully at Halcen, standing protectively in front of his friend.

The one behind him looked to be maybe a year younger than the first one. He had semi-long, straight dark blue hair that hung down over his blue eyes, and pale skin. His face was a bit more round. He was slightly overweight, but not by much. He definitely wasn't a fighter though. He must have been the brains behind the tech in the fortress.

Halcen took a quick look around the room. It was about thirty feet across with a high ceiling. It looked like another control room, but bigger than the first one, and with much more equipment scattered around. There was another door on the far side. He wondered why they hadn't used that as an escape.

"You're not taking Jin," the one in the front said. This was the one with the scrappy voice. Halcen was a bit surprised.

He took another look at the boy in the back. _That must be Jin. Which means this…_ He looked back to the one in front, … _must be Fein._ "Actually," he said out loud, "Max wants you both."

"He had nothing to do with this!" Jin said, pushing Fein out of the way, finally speaking up. This was the one that had done the majority of the talking. His voice really didn't match his body.

"Doesn't matter to me, kid. Whoever's on the list, goes. And you're both on the list. Let's go." Halcen took a step forward.

Fein jumped in front of Jin again. "We're not going anywhere with you!"

"Listen," Halcen said sternly. "You need to calm down. I'm not here to hurt you, but I will if I have to. I have a schedule to keep, and you two and throwing all kinds of wrenches in my plan. Now… _let's go!"_

Jin gulped.

Halcen was knocked off his feet before he knew that he had been hit. His body spun and his face hit the wall next to the door he had just walked through. He turned with abject confusion in his eyes to see Fein standing in front of him with left arm out. He had been hit. He didn't even see it coming. Halcen pounded the wall with an iron black fist in anger, denting it. Then he turned, stood full height, and came at the kid.

Fein threw up his left arm to deflect the incoming attack, and then turned to slam his right shoulder into Halcen's side, displacing the headhunter from his footing. And while the pirate stumbled, Fein threw his right elbow into Halcen's face, knocking him off his feet and down to the ground on his back.

Halcen could feel his nose bleeding. He hadn't protected himself with Haki. He thought he could handle this fight without it. But this kid… whoever he was… was good. Halcen was pissed. He seethed as his body coated black once more for this final fight. He threw himself back up onto his feet as quickly as he could and swung at Fein.

Fein was too fast. He dodged again and then threw a left punch into the side of Halcen's face. Instead of being flung again, Halcen remained standing in the same place, but his body did twist… only for him to turn back to Fein with a smile.

"Now we're cooking."

Jin gulped again.

Halcen and Fein locked in combat. Fein was too fast to hit, and Halcen was too strong to take serious damage. Neither could get the upper hand on the other, and they continued to trade blows. Halcen grew frustrated. "LET ME HIT YOU!" Halcen shouted as Fein dodged another swing.

Halcen angrily stomped the ground, causing a small quake, Fein was thrown off footing, and Halcen saw his shot. He hit Fein in the chest with an unrivaled left, throwing the young man across the room and crashing into the counter of computers. Halcen took the moment to grab Jin by the arm and began to pull him toward the door. "LET'S GO!"

Jin struggled against Halcen's grip. He was clearly not a strong boy.

"Let me go!"

And then Fein flung himself onto Halcen. Halcen may have gotten a good blow in, but it wasn't enough to take him out. And Fein was quick. He broke Halcen's hold on Jin, then wrapped his arms around Halcen's arm, swung his legs off the ground and around Halcen's neck, trying to strangle him. The hold was tight, and Halcen was being pulled to the ground.

"YOU WILL NOT TAKE HIM!" Fein shouted as he grunted to maintain control.

Halcen choked and grunted as the man's legs squeezed harder. His Haki was fading. This fight was getting to him. He grabbed Fein's ankle with his free hand and began to pull with all the strength he could muster, and finally broke free of Fein's grasp. He slammed Fein down on the ground, still holding his ankle, then pulled him up until the air and released his ankle, but grabbed ahold on Fein's neck with the same hand. He held him up high, with Fein's legs dangling off the ground, and began squeezing.

Fein struggled in vain to free himself of the pirate's grasp. He was stuck. His face became red as his oxygen diminished.

"I TOLD YOU! I didn't want to hurt you!" Halcen shouted. "I was only sent you get you! I am tired! I didn't want to fight! But here we are!" He stared into Fein's eyes and he watched as the light began to fade.

And then, standing behind him, he could hear Jin say "Let him go!"

Halcen turned his head to look at the little man. He was holding a large black machine that looked like a rifle of some sort, pointed at Halcen.

Halcen sighed. "Didn't you see what little those turrets did?"

"I did," Jin nodded. "But this isn't a normal gun."

"Jin," Fein struggled to say. "Run."

"I can't do that," he said, getting choked up. "You know I can't!"

"You... bitch."

"Jerk," Jin responded, eyes tearing up. And then he turned his attention back toward Halcen. "This is an experimental energy rifle. I made it myself. It's powerful enough to kill everyone in this room. I know that Haki of yours is resistant to bullets, but I promise this will go through."

Halcen stood for a moment, contemplating. "And you're willing to die, here and now?"

"If we go with you, we die. If I do this, you die too."

Halcen nodded. _Smart fucker._ "I like you," Halcen chuckled.

Jin gave him a confused look. "Excuse me?"

Halcen loosened the grip on Fein's throat for a moment, so he could breathe again, and talk. "I think I have an idea."

"What the hell are you doing?" Fein asked in confusion.

"Hear me out. The two of you… are willing to kill and die for each other. Clearly you have a very deep friendship. _You're_ smart," he said to Jin. "And _you,_ " he said to Fein, "are a very good fighter. So let me propose an idea: join my crew."

"What the fuck did you just say?" Fein blurted out.

"Yeah… I'm lost," Jin added.

"I could use people like you: dedicated, smart, strong. I'm building a crew, and I know to recognize talent when I see it."

"And why would we do that?" Jin asked.

"Yeah… you were just trying to kill us!" Fein added.

"I actually never tried to kill either of you. I was just trying to get you to my ship."

"Okay...?"

"I can settle your debts with Max. He's an old buddy. I have plenty I can use to schmooze this over."

"Are… are you actually being serious?" Jin asked.

"Yes." Halcen looked them both in the eyes and then let Fein go to prove it.

Fein dropped to his knees and began rubbing his neck.

"How do we know this isn't a trap?" Jin asked. "This could just be a trap to get us to your ship peacefully."

"You _are_ smart," Halcen nodded. He took a moment to think. "I guess I can't really prove my intentions. But I am serious. You two are exceptional people and I need people like that in my crew. I'm going after Whitebeard, and you two are perfect for my team."

"The Yonko?" Fein asked, astonished. "You're gonna try to take on… Whitebeard… a Yonko?"

"That is correct," Halcen nodded again.

"We'd be better off just dying at Max's hands."

Halcen shrugged. "If that's what you want. But I'm offering you a way out of certain death. I know Whitebeard, personally. I know his weaknesses. I know his strengths. I know everything that one would need to take on a Yonko. And if you would rather us all die right now, then pull the trigger," Halcen said to Jin.

Jin stared Halcen in the eyes. This kid had nerve. He never wavered as he held the massive rifle. "Alright," he said, lowering the gun. "We're in."

"Jin!"

Jin looked to Fein. "This is the most logical option. Either we all die right now, you and I die soon, or we all face a 99% chance at dying later." He looked back at Halcen. "Personally, I'd rather take the chance."

"Fuck," Fein sighed. "Alright, fine. We're in."

Jin walked to Halcen and reached out his hand. A handshake. Halcen respected that.

Halcen took it gratefully. He had just gotten two new members for his pirate crew. With Grey leaving soon, he was going to need all the extra help he could get. Fein was a good fighter and Jin would provide invaluable tech support. Things were starting to look up.

"Good. Let's go," Halcen said. "Grab your shit."

Jin motioned to the closed door on the other side of the room. "This way."

Halcen followed the two through the door and down a set of stairs that led to another room. It was dark down there until Jin turned the lights on. It looked like a warehouse. There were crates and toolbenches and miscellaneous stuff thrown all over the place. It had a high ceiling with steel shelves going to the top.

Here, they began their rummaging, and packing. Jin brought out a dolly and started stacking a few boxes full of important equipment.

Halcen interjected. "You do realize we have to climb our way down the mountain? I'm not carrying that crap for you."

Jin laughed. "How do you think we got it all up here?"

Halcen looked stunned. He had gone through all this trouble without being able to find it. "A secret entrance."

"There you go."

"Hey!" Fein called from across the room.

Halcen turned to see him carrying, in his arms, a full-grown white wolf, like the ones he had been fighting earlier that day. It was a bit big to be carrying, but Halcen shrugged it off. It had a bandaged from right paw. "What… are you doing with that?"

"This is Shira. She comes too."

"She tried to kill me. I don't think so."

"She's not part of the pack. She wasn't out there cause she was injured. She's been in here recovering since the incident."

"Wait what?"

"Shira isn't liked by the others. All wolf packs have an omega, but this pack takes it a little far. They torture and abuse her. So we had to separate them. She's coming with, cause she'll die if she stays here."

"What about the other wolves? Won't they die without someone to take care of them?"

"No, they're indigenous to this island. That was part of the reason we chose it. They'll be fine."

Halcen nodded. "Alright, let's go."

The two men gathered the rest of their stuff, and then Jin led them to the far side of the storeroom, where two large steel doors opened up to expose an elevator. They got in, and it began their descent.

"How far down does this go?" Halcen asked.

"All the way to the shore," Jin said. "We needed something sturdy and stable to transport our stuff. It was the first thing we built."

Halcen shook his head in amazement. _I can't fucking believe I had to climb all that way._


	19. No Deal New Deal

**AN: So I got this new chapter done a bit quickly. It was mainly dialogue so it wasn't that hard. There's a surprise guest in this chapter! ;) Hope you guys enjoy it.**

 **Also, I'm still doing my Youtube thing. I haven't gotten many followers yet, but I have continued to post videos. I'm still working on learning video editing... so it'll only be getting better! If you guys wanna check it out, head to Youtube and check out "Nobody's Law." won't let me post actual links. :(**

 **BUT! I still don't own One Piece. XD Maybe one day I will finally outsmart Oda.**

* * *

No Deal; New Deal

Halcen led the two young man out of the elevator and around the rocky shore to his ship, the Black Tail, where the rest of his soon-to-be-leaving "crew" were awaiting his return. This included his first mate, the two snipers, and, Halcen was sure, the crew Max had lent him as well. Being that he was going to welch on their deal, Halcen was sure Max was going to attempt to take everything back from him.

The crew seemed a bit surprised to see Halcen coming around the side of the island, rather than coming straight down the mountain, the same way he had gone up.

Jory was the first to greet them. "How'd it go?" he asked, looking at Halcen. Then he looked back at the other two.

"No problem, kid." Halcen answered.

Jory was only 16. Jin was apparently 18, and Fein was 19. So Jory was _still_ the youngest on the ship. Bailu had them all beat as the eldest, though Halcen had no idea how old he was.

"Did everything go well, Captain?" Loyola asked.

"Yes," he said, loading his shit back on the ship. He aided Jin and Fein in doing the same.

"What's with all the stuff?"Jory asked.

Halcen looked at Jin and Fein. "They're loading it on the ship."

"I mean, why do they have so much stuff?"

"They're gonna need it if they're gonna be here long term."

"Long term? What are you talking about?"

"They're joining my crew."

Everyone aboard turned in surprise. This was a shock.

Jin bowed before them and said "My name is Reisen Jin, and I'll be joining your crew. It is very good to meet you all," he said in a very earnest kind way.

Everyone seemed just as thrown off by his voice as Halcen. Halcen chuckled silently to himself.

"Say what?" Jory jolted. "They're… joining the crew?"

Jin looked to Fein, and said "You bow too."

Fein growled and said "I don't think so."

"That's no way to make friends."

"I'm not here to make friends. I'm here to avoid being murdered."

"So… what's going on?"

Everyone but Bailu, Kazuki, and Bo seemed to want to get involved. That meant Loyola and Valentina came up closer for a better look. They started shrieking in joy when they saw Shira being carried in Fein's arms.

"OH MY GOD!" Valentina squealed.

"He's so cute!" Loyola joined in.

"What's his name?"

" _Her_ ," Fein corrected.

"What's _her_ name?" Loyola said.

"Shira," Fein said in annoyance. He looked down at Shira happy to be being petted and adored. Her face lit up and she panted and let her tongue hang out. "Traitorous bitch."

"Sorry about my friend. He's a little standoffish sometimes. This is Mangetsu Fein."

"So, what happened up there?" Jory asked.

"Well, long story short, they won me over," Halcen explained.

Grey pulled Halcen aside for a moment while the crew got to know Jin and Fein.

"What are you doing? Isn't this just supposed to be a run for Max? Aren't they supposed to be prisoners? I'm sure Max wants them so he can kill them."

"I don't think this should matter much to you," Halcen told Grey. "Not like you're gonna be on board long enough for you to care, anyway." Halcen had to remind Grey of his impending departure.

"Halcen, this is stupid."

"So I'm stupid now? For having standards in my crewmates? You almost got me killed. These two are willing to die for each other. I want that in a crew. They're on board. Deal with it."

Grey just shook his head in rage as he stared down Halcen. "Fine," he said as he stormed off.

Halcen turned to re-enter the conversation the others were having.

"That's gonna piss Max off," Loyola said.

Halcen nodded. "I'm aware. I'm going to see if I can swing it with him; make another deal if I have to."

"But why?" Jory asked.

"Because they're good at what they do. And I need more people like that in the crew."

Bo and Kazuki welcomed them as if they were passing strangers, which made sense. None of them would be together for very long anyway. Halcen was likely about to be stripped of the 4-man crew Max had lent him. He was losing Bo and Kazuki once they hit Loguetown, where he was also kicking Grey out. So it was going to be just him, Jin, Fein, and their mutt. He shook in disgust at the idea. _No, I can't let that happen. I need this crew. I can talk to Max, work something out._

"Alright… so what's the plan then, Captain?" Loyola asked.

"Our destination remains the same: Corteano. I need to talk to Max." Halcen looked to Valentina. "Can you take us there?"

Later that night, in sleep deprivation, Halcen went to the kitchen again, where he saw Valentina, rummaging through the fridge for snacks. She looked up at him in shock as she was stuffing chips in her mouth. "Halcen," she said through a mouthful. "What's... going on?"

"I was just…" he nodded toward the counter, "Trying to get some coffee. Again."

"Gotcha," she nodded.

He walked toward the counter as Valentina tried to move without freaking out. He could feel the tension. "Can I talk to you?" He asked, turning around.

"A-ab-about?"

"The conversation from the other night."

"Oh…?" she said, clearly scared. She swallowed and coughed hard. "What… about it?"

"I just-" He took a step toward her, with his hand out, trying to mime what he was trying to say. "I wanted to say… I'm sorry."

She looked at him in disbelief. "Oh?"

"I was out of line. I'm stressed out and there's not a lot keeping me grounded."

"So… wait… do you…?"

"No!" he said abruptly. "I mean… I still _can't._ But I am sorry how I acted about it, before. I'm just… not in a good place for this kinda thing. I have way too much going on. And now especially that Max is likely to take this crew away from me for not handing over Jin and Fein." He sighed "I just can't."

"Okay…" Valentina nodded. "Thank you… for talking to me, at least."

"I still want us to have a working, professional relationship, but that's it."

"Alright… I guess," she said solemnly. She left in the quiet as Halcen returned to his coffee.

When the sun began to rise, and nobody else was awake yet, Halcen was still sitting at the table, sipping on cold coffee, when Jin walked in.

"Oh… sorry," Jin said lowly.

Halcen hadn't noticed him until he spoke. He had been so zoned out. "Oh, no. You're fine. I'm just… sitting here," he said slowly, as he realized how odd that was.

"You alright?" Jin asked.

"Perfect."

"Alright... Well, uhm... I was just gonna get some tea…"

"Oh yeah, go for it."

Jin began rummaging through the cabinets, looking for a box of anything he could use to start his day. "Where… uh… where do you keep it?"

"It's uhm..." Halcen stood up to go to the other side of the kitchen and showed Jin where it was. "Here."

"Oh, thanks."

"No problem." Halcen decided that he should probably get himself a new cup of coffee too. A hot, fresh cup.

Jin took a moment to look through their limited selection. "Mmm… black tea."

"It's not that good," Halcen said.

"What?"

"The black tea. It's super bitter."

"Yeah," Jin laughed. "You gotta add stuff to it. By itself, yeah, it would be."

"Wait… you're supposed to add stuff? I thought you just... drank it?"

Jin snorted. "No… I kinda treat it like coffee. Add some sugar, or honey if you have it, then milk. It's really good after."

"Really?" Halcen had never thought of that.

"Yeah."

"Well, if it's basically coffee, why don't you just drink coffee?"

"Well, tea is better for you."

"Coffee has health benefits."

"Yeah, a little. But with as much as most people drink in a day, and the quality of the coffee they drink, it's more bad than good."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Jin nodded.

Halcen looked at his mug. "I think I'll stick with the coffee."

Jin laughed. "Alright. Fair enough."

Once their drinks were done, both men sat down at the table across from each other.

Jin took a sip and went "Aahhh… much better." Then he looked across the table. "So… Halcen."

"What's up?"

"I just… wanted to say thanks."

"Oh?"

"You, uh… made a bold choice, and are trying to save our lives. Now, I don't know if this is the kinda thing you do often, or really much about you at all, but I wanted you to know that I appreciate it. Regardless of if Max actually lets this go or not… you're trying. And that says a lot."

"Listen…" Halcen cleared his throat, then got real serious. "I didn't do it to make myself look like some hero. I'm not that guy. I did it because I truly believe you'll be more use to me alive than dead. And as far as Max goes, I'll take care of it. We made a deal." He looked at Jin, and Jin could see the morning light reflect off his green eyes. "So, you're mine. Nobody else will lay a hand on you."

Jin got shivers as he began to realize the kind of man he was dealing with.

Another day passed and finally they came to Corteano, the scum-infested island of the East Blue. The Black Tail pulled up to the city docks as Halcen stood, waiting patiently. They pulled in and Halcen took his time going about the ship, making his preparations. He was trying to delay the oncoming confrontation.

Again, he took the Devil Fruit, tied to his waist with him, to ensure nobody could try to use it against him. This power needed to be kept out of malicious hands.

He gathered the crew and had a chat with them. "Jin, Fein, you two need to stay put on the ship until I come back. I'm gonna try to work out a plan with Max."

"And what if he says no?" Fein asked. He was still being stubborn.

"I know how to twist Max. Trust me, I can handle this."

"But let's just say… hypothetically… what if he won't budge?"

"Then I beat his ass and we make a break for it."

Fein's face froze with his mouth agape. He didn't have a rebuttal.

Nobody else seemed to know what to say in response either.

"Anymore stupid questions?"

"We're all good here," Jin stated.

"Everybody stay here. Don't leave the ship, don't let anybody on."

They all nodded in agreement.

Jin and Fein watched their new Captain go in an attempt to spare their lives.

Halcen left the Black Tail, alone, and headed towards Max's bar. He went in, ready to talk. When he got there, he saw Pad serving a patron sitting at the bar on one of the stools. This man wore a long orange mantle on his shoulders and a funny orange hat. He had grayish-blue hair that seemed to be coming out at the ends of the hat. That was all Halcen could distinguish from the back.

Halcen walked up to the bar to see the man was working on a pint of beer. He noticed the man had a crossbones tattoo over his forehead. _Definitely a pirate._ And the weirdest looking nose he had ever seen. It was like a giant red ball. _That's… gotta make life difficult. No wonder he's a pirate._

The man looked over at Halcen. Halcen nodded. He raised his glass in salute and smiled with giant pearly whites. His lips were dark red and glossy. It looked like lipstick.

 _That's even weirder._ Halcen returned his attention to the giant man standing behind the counter. "I'm here to see Max."

Pad nodded. "He's in the back."

Halcen turned to walk towards the door on the wall next to the bar.

Max was sitting in a chair behind a desk in an office behind the bar. He looked up to greet Halcen. Max was a skunk Mink, a bit on the short side. He had glossy black fur and a puffy tail with white stripes going down it. And a small tuft of white that came over the top of his head. He had a snout that came out to a pointed end and beady green eyes. "Halcen," he said.

"Max."

He glared at the man. "Did you bring what I asked?"

"I have them… they're on the ship."

Max nodded. His eyes caught the light. They glistened in glee over finally getting his hands on those delinquents. "So it's over, finally. You can go back to your… search."

"Not… quite," Halcen said, sighing.

"Oh?"

"There's a problem."

Max closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Now what?"

"I can't hand them over to you."

Max tightened his teeth. "And why… _the hell_ … not?" he asked, standing up. Max began to walk toward Halcen. He only measured up to Halcen's chest.

"I want them to join my crew," Halcen said sternly.

"Ex…cuse me?" Max began laughing. "This is a prank, right?"

Halcen shook his head, as Max stepped toward him. "No."

"Then what the hell are you doing here?!" Max tore into him.

"I want to make a deal."

"WE ALREADY MADE A DEAL!"

"The old deal's off. There's gotta be something else you want outta me."

" _This_ was what I wanted. _Nobody_ else could have done this."

"Well you better think of something. I mean, how much did they owe in the first place? Maybe I can pay it off."

"Do you have 60 million beri laying around… that I didn't know about?"

Halcen took a deep breath and spat. "No, I don't. But-"

"NO! No 'buts'. You had one job! Why do you always have to complicate everything?!"

Halcen stayed silent for a moment, enraged. Then finally, he said "You don't want to go there, Max."

Then Max pushed past him, ignoring the warning, and walked out to the bar, where Pad was working and the man still sat drinking.

Halcen followed in pursuit.

"PAD!" Max shouted in annoyance.

"Yes, Max?"

"Max, don't you do this!" Halcen said out loud.

"WHOA! WHOA! WHOA GENTS!" said a wheezing voice.

Everybody turned to look at the man.

He stood up and made a simple gesture. "What is all this racket?" he asked. His breath was high and scratchy, as if he was out of breath.

"I'm sorry to disturb your drink, sir," Max said carefully, then bowed. "My associate and I were just having a disagreement."

"Money troubles?" he asked.

"Yes, sir."

The man looked to Halcen. "Well it just so happens… that I'm looking for someone to do me a little job."

"Excuse me?"

"I came here to get my ship repaired. So I'm stuck here and can't do it myself. But there's a… delivery of some precious goods being moved that might be _lifte_ _d_ if the right person were involved."

"What kind of goods?" Halcen asked.

"Kairoseki."

"Seastone?" Max gasped. "That shit is rare."

"That's right," the man crackled. "It can be used to outfit ships to cross into the Grand Line without needing to take Reverse Mountain. It'd save the hassle of your ship getting blown to pieces. It's expensive, but worth it."

"Where?"

"There's a ship carrying it out of the Grand Line toward Loguetown, to sell to the Marines. They do runs every few months after getting enough together. They should be coming up in a few days. If you cut them off… you'd only have to take out some various crew, and probably some hired muscle. No big deal."

"How much?"

"There's a little more than three hundred pounds of it."

"Three _hundre_ _d_ pounds? That's like a hundred million beri." Max stuttered.

"There's plenty to go around," the clown laughed. "I only need enough for the bottom of my ship," he said. "I was gonna try to sell the rest anyway. So, you guys would have it all to yourselves."

It sounded very enticing.

"How did you hear about this?"

The clown smiled. "I've got my sources." Everyone seemed to leave it at that.

Halcen turned to Max. "So, how about it? I get the seastone, and you lay off."

"Alright," Max nodded.

"Don't try to act like it doesn't excite you. You'd rather have goods than money anyway." Halcen extended his hand.

"Max took it. "But in the meantime… I'm still taking the guys."

"What?"

"As leverage. I need something to make sure you come back."

"Fine," Halcen spat.

"Pad! Go get the boys off the ship."

The towering lug began walking out toward the Black Tail. He continued out the door and headed out of the backstreets. Halcen followed him, along with the grimy clown-looking-bitch. Halcen was pissed off about what was about to happen, but couldn't do anything. He walked in silence.

"You know, I'm glad I ran into you," the man said, chuckling. "I thought I was gonna have to wait here forever. I was gonna miss that ship."

Halcen nodded along, pretending to pay attention.

Then they finally came to the docks. The clown sat off to the edge as Pad and Halcen went aboard the Black Tail. Everybody came rushing to see what was going on.

Halcen explained. "Max and I have made a deal." He looked to Jin and Fein for the moment. "You two are going to stay here with him, while the rest of us go run one more job."

"Oh, good God," Bo groaned. "Another job? Are we ever gonna get to Loguetown."

"I swear to God, Bo, if you say one more thing about Loguetown, I'm gonna dump your ass in the ocean. Alright?"

Bo's face twitched, but he remained silent. He was eager to get home, Halcen understood that. But there were other important things to get done first.

"Bo, Kazuki, if you two want to stay here, and try to catch a ride to Loguetown instead, then you can. Or you can just tag along for the ride." Then he looked across the crew and saw Grey standing in the back. "In fact, if _anybody_ , wants to stay here, they are welcome to it."

"I think we're good," Kazuki said.

"Alright then… anybody else got any smartass comments?" Halcen asked.

"What's the job?" Jory asked.

"We're going to rob a ship carrying Kairoseki."

"Where is it?" Loyola asked.

"Edge of the Grand Line. They're coming out, bringing a load from there. I guess the Marines got some kind of deal with this shipping company. It'll be on it's way to Loguetown to sell their wares."

"So Max gave you another job, instead?" Jin asked. "He said he'd spare us?"

"Well… no. Max didn't want to make another deal. But some other guy came up with the deal."

"Another guy?"

"Yeah… he was hanging out at the bar. He's a little weird, but he needed somebody to do the job cause his ship's trashed."

"Ah… That makes sense," Jory said, nodding along.

"So you two are gonna stay here on Corteano," Halcen said to Jin and Fein. "And we'll be back for you shortly. Alright?"

Jin nodded. The fact alone that Halcen was already sticking his neck out for them was a good sign.

Fein, however, growled in annoyance. "He better not fucking touch us."

"Don't worry. I'll arrange for you to get special treatment."

Pad silently led Jin and Fein off the Black Tail. Halcen followed suit, walking up to the clown man. They all began moving back to the bar. Grey followed Halcen off the ship, wanting to talk.

"Halcen, wait a sec!" he called from a distance. "Don't you think this sounds a bit-" And then he caught sight of the blue-haired, red-nosed pirate. "Buggy?!"

And then the clown saw the tall man, walking towards him, and let out an exasperated cry. "G-G-G-G-G-G-GREY!?" His eyes went wide and his mouth gaped.

"What are you doing here?"

"ME?! I'm just... you know… looking for a… NO, WAIT A MINUTE! What are _you_ doing here? I thought you were in Whitebeard's crew!"

"Oh, yeah," Grey looked at Halcen. "A lot of things have changed in the past couple months."

"So why are you _here?"_

"We're trying to get Halcen's new crewmates in the clear."

"Wait, you mean this brat is your Captain?"

"Watch it, clown," Halcen said.

Buggy put his hands up in defense and let out a little chuckle.

"So… you guys seem to know each other," Halcen said, changing topics.

"Yeah. We were on the Oro Jackson together," Grey said.

Halcen looked at Buggy. " _You_ … were in Rogers' crew?"

The clown's throat seemed to swell up and his face turned red.

"God… you were just a kid back then. Look how old you've gotten."

"YOU'RE ONE TO TALK, GEEZER!" Buggy shouted in anger.

Grey began laughing. "You really haven't changed."

"So…" Halcen interjected, trying to talk lowly. "This guy? He's okay?"

Buggy's eyes burst with anxiety, staring at Grey.

"Yeah," Grey said, with optimism. "He's a good kid."

Halcen didn't have anything else he could take on Buggy's character. As angry as he was with Grey, he at least had experience with this man. "So we can trust him?"

"Oh, he's always been a bit of a character, but deep down, he wouldn't really hurt anyone."

Buggy began to snarl.

"Alright, sounds good. So I guess we have a deal, Buggy." Halcen said, reaching out his hand.

Buggy took it, and put on a big smile. "Absolutely." He looked at Grey, then back at Halcen. "Well, I should get back to my ship now. Let me know when you guys get back."

"Sounds good, Buggy," Grey laughed. "It was good seeing you again. Glad to know you're doing well."

"Yeah, yeah!" Buggy shouted as he walked off toward the other end of the docks, and he began to chuckle.

Grey and Halcen stood still on the docks.

"Halcen… are you sure you want to do this?"

"The deal with Buggy seems legit. You said yourself we can trust him."

"Not that. The deal with Max. What if he doesn't keep his word, just to spite you for not keeping yours? What if he kills Jin and Fein anyway?"

"He's not going to. For all his bluster, Max fears me. He knows what I'm capable of. And if he _did_ decide to betray me, he wouldn't have his own subordinates killed as collateral damage just to do it. He's smarter than that. But I'm smarter than him."

"Alright. If you think everything checks out, I guess we better get going."


	20. What We Found In Those Waters

**SO here is the next chapter. Another special guest awaits. Hope you enjoy. I definitely enjoyed writing it.**

 **I got my first flame lol. I thought it was hilarious. It literally says "** Whole the idea is original it is very poorly written. Not worth the read. **" It was from a guest account, so they didn't even have the courage to face me with an actual account. They were just hiding.  
So I wanna say: If you ACTUALLY have ideas on how I can make my writing better, I am 100% down to hear it. Like TheOnlyKing did; good, solid ideas. I love constructive criticism. But if your intention is to bring me down, I'm only gonna laugh. Flames are for people who are too insecure to try to do anything, and want to tear down others that actually DO. It's pathetic. You're only embarrassing yourself. ;)**

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 **Thanks guys! Love you all!**

* * *

What We Found In Those Waters

The Black Tail trudged along the northern border of the Grand Line until they arrived at the designated spot. Valentina had them come to a halt and began her watch of the seas. There seemed to be no sign of anything around them. But she knew, especially being this close to the Grand Line, that anything could happen… at any moment.

Halcen sat up in the crow's nest, keeping a lookout. He too saw nothing, but they were about a half day ahead of Buggy's estimates as to when the ship would arrive. So he was sure they'd have a few hours to kill. He rubbed the Devil Fruit tied to his waist. It was more secure with him, rather than someone else's hands. This thing had caused enough trouble as it was. But he was sure it was safe now… In his contentedness, he began to nod off.

When he came to, it was already afternoon and the sun had begun its descent on the far side of the world. He stumbled upwards, trying to gain his bearings, but struggled. Had he missed it? What was going on? He looked down upon his ship to see that nothing had changed. He saw the crew still going about as if nothing had happened. Halcen quickly climbed down the rope ladder and landed on the deck in such haste, he nearly twisted his ankle. "What's going on?" he asked.

"No change, Captain," Loyola said.

"Yeah. Nothing's happening," Jory added, worried.

"That's odd. I thought they were supposed to have passed by now?"

"That was the idea," Loyola said.

Halcen shouted up to Valentina, "Are you sure we're in the right spot?"

She seemed a bit put off. "Yes, we are in the right spot. This is exactly where the clown said they were going to come through."

"Alright… well _something's_ gotta be wrong. Did they get held up?"

"Wait… Captain…"

"What's going on?"

"There… over there… on the horizon… there's something there."

Halcen looked out over the edge of the ship, but couldn't make it out. It was too small from such a distance. He rushed back up the rope ladder to the crow's nest, and then took out a pair of binoculars. "What the hell is that?"

Down below, he could hear clamoring, but couldn't make out any specific words. He was too focused on what was going on ahead of him.

"That's not…"Halcen trailed off. He began to get a sense of worry. _This can't be good, can it?_

Kazuki wasn't waiting around to find out what was going on from the horse's mouth. He took out Christine and looked through the scope. "Oh, shit."

"What's going on?" Loyola asked, fear trembling in her voice.

"BO!" Kazuki called to his counterpart.

Bo came immediately, carrying his own rifle, Rebecca. He kneeled down at the edge of the ship and laid her across the wood beam. He took a moment to find his target. "Who the hell?"

Halcen came crashing down again in a rush. "I think we're in trouble."

All the commotion made Grey take up and come out from below deck. He seemed a bit put off, like he knew something was wrong. "What… what is that?" he asked, awestruck.

"Will somebody please tell me what is going on?!" Valentina shouted.

"There's a man… alone… on a raft. He's drifting in from the Grand Line," Halcen explained.

"How is that trouble?"

"He could be hurt," Jory said.

"I very much doubt that," Grey said. He was trying to maintain composure.

"What do you mean?"

"I can sense him," Grey's voice trembled. "The sheer power... raw strength and blood-thirst." His body shook as he attempted to sort through these emotions.

"Grey?" Halcen asked, nervously. "Are we in trouble?"

Grey swallowed hard and then nodded. He looked out to the water as the man continued their way. "I don't know who this is, but he's strong. Very strong."

"I do," Kazuki said.

"What?" Halcen turned to him. "What do you mean?"

"I know who he is."

"Who?"

"They _just_ named him Shichibukai."

"He's a Warlord?"

"No wonder he's so powerful…" Grey trailed off.

Halcen returned his attention back to Kazuki, who kept aim on the man. "Who is he?" Halcen asked, seriously.

"They say he's one of the best swordsman in the world. He doesn't seem to have Devil Fruit powers, but I'm sure his Haki is something. His name is Dracule Mihawk, or as they call him… 'Hawkeye.'"

"Then why is he _here_?" Halcen asked. "Why has he come to _us_?" Then realized. "We've been set up. There was no Kairoseki." He looked to Grey, "Your friend sold us out!"

"Dammit, Buggy," Grey cursed to himself.

"Why is he wearing a cross on his back?" Bo asked, still keeping his rifle on the man.

"That's no cross," Kazuki pointed out. "That's the handle of his sword."

" _That's_ a sword?! Well… holy…"

"His sword, Yoru, is one of the most deadly blades in the world. I've heard he used to clash with Yonko, and matched them."

"And he's coming right for us," Halcen said, looking out. "All hands on deck! We need to move! Valentina, can you get us out of here?!"

"I'll do my best!" She looked down at the deck. "Loyola! Jory! Get our sails moving! We need to get out of here now!"

Loyola and Jory went about their duties, and the Black Tail began to move slowly, as Valentina turned them away from the Grand Line, and out of the line of this man who oozed bloodlust.

But the Warlord hadn't given up so easily as to just let them get away. The man, from a hundred feet away, stood up from his seat, and pulled out a massive sword. The black blade curved into a scimitar-like point. Its evil could be felt just as it was woken from its peaceful rest. Now was it's time to bite. He lifted the blade high into the air with his one right arm, and it stuck up an extra six feet. The blade was almost as tall as the man himself. Then he swung it down, without strain, in a powerful sweep that cut straight toward their ship. The water furled explosively as the wind cut through it and a massive blast hit the side of the Black Tail, cutting a giant notch in the side of the ship.

"Holy fuck!" Halcen shouted, as the boat rocked and water sprayed them. "We need to get out of here! Get us out of here, now!" He shouted at Valentina.

"We can't move any faster!" she yelled back.

This was the momentHalcen realized they were doomed. He watched this man launched himself off his raft, into the air, over the ocean water, about fifty feet away, sailed over to their ship, then landed gracefully down. He looked up at the stammering crew with his evil yellow eyes.

Up close, he had a very menacing stature. He was about a half foot taller than Halcen, roughly the same height as Grey, give or take an inch. He had a slender, lean body, but fit. His eyes did look exactly like those of a bird of prey. The irises were yellow with a black ring around the center of them. Halcen understood his nickname "Hawkeye." He had a clean-shaven face, and short black hair with thick sideburns. He had a long black coat that hung open, exposing his chest. And a flamboyant hat that kept the sun out of his eyes.

Halcen gulped. "You… get off my ship!" he shouted.

"Oh, it is a lovely ship," the man responded. "I was told you might be coming through here."

"Why… are you here?"

"I was asked to take care of you. You seem to be causing some trouble for the world government," He said, walking towards Halcen. "I was asked to do them this boon. I must abide by their word… _sometimes_."

Halcen's body tightened with rage and fear. He clenched his fists.

Kazuki broke from his sniper position, while Bo still knelt behind him, clutching his rifle. "Now wait a minute!" he shouted.

Hawkeye took a second to look at the man. "And what do _you_ want?"

"This ship is currently being used as transport for two Marine snipers. I am Chief Petty Officer Ureha Kazuki and this is my partner Petty Officer Yusha Bosopp. We are taking this ship to Loguetown to debrief on a mission. You must stand down."

Halcen watched Kazuki take charge in surprise. The man was impressive.

Mihawk seemed less moved. "Funny, I wasn't told about you."

"Just because you didn't know, doesn't mean it's not true. Now, stand down, and let us continue our mission."

"If they cared, they wouldn't have sent me. The whole crew dies."

And then Bailu burst out of the underdeck raging. "Who the hell is blowing holes in my ship, again?!"

Mihawk caught the man's eyes. He needed not speak the words. Bailu knew, and he surrendered his voice.

Halcen looked up at the man. Halcen could feel this man's power emanating around them, overcoming them. He didn't have a choice though. His body went dark and he swung.

His fist hit cold black steel. The blade was in front of Mihawk faster than Halcen could even see him move. _What the…?_

"Is it my turn?" Mihawk asked, monotone.

"You…"

Suddenly, the massive blade was smashing into Halcen's stomach, cutting across, horizontally. Mihawk had moved far too quickly to see.

Halcen's Haki was holding, but barely. He was in pain. This fight was going to be a difficult one.

And then, without even a hint of strain, Mihawk pushed the blade harder, through Halcen's Haki. Blood sprayed across the deck as his skin was torn. And then a mere flick of the blade sent Halcen flying across the deck. His body smashed into the wood railing on the other side.

"HALCEN!" Valentina cried.

Whatever desperate thoughts of beating this man he had had, Halcen fully realized… they were all going to die.

Mihawk stood up, and looked about the crew. There was a young kid, two semi-grown men with rifles, two old men, a young woman, and a middle aged woman. His job was to kill them all.

Mihawk walked up to the short pink-haired woman, as she stood alone off to the side. His blade was readied.

Valentina fell to her knees, tears in her eyes. She screamed as the sword came down.

Then Jory pulled out his sword, and jumped in.

"JORY!" Halcen cried.

But it was too late. They had already locked blades.

Jory held tight with two hands, barely maintaining his footing, as the Warlord pushed down with ease with only his one arm.

"I… will not… let you hurt them!" Jory yelled.

"Such bravado. I don't think you can stop me." And then Mihawk shifted his blade to make Jory fall forward, and then he swung in an upward stroke, cutting into Jory's chest. Blood flowed from the wound as Jory was sent flying across the ship as well.

"JORY!" Loyola called in horror. She rushed off after him, being out of Mihawk's gaze… for now.

Mihawk then turned to the snipers.

Bo and Kazuki rushed off to the sides, trying to find a distance they could fight from. But they didn't have the chance.

The giant black blade cut underneath them, slicing across their legs, and sending them stumbling to the ground.

Kazuki pulled his pistol and tried to take fire, but the gun was quickly swept away.

Mihawk stood over him, about to stab into the man.

"NO!" Halcen shouted.

Everyone looked back to the Captain of the pirate ship.

Halcen leaned forward, his left arm covering his stomach, his Haki still thriving. It was the only thing keeping him alive. He groaned, as he stood up, and his blood spurted out of him. He wavered, but still got up. "You… can't…" he stammered as he stalked toward Mihawk.

"But I am," was all he said in response.

"I don't care who you are! I don't care how strong you are! I… will NOT let this be the end… not without a fight!"

"It's not much of a fight," Mihawk pointed out.

"Yeah, you're right. Even if I'm guaranteed to die here, I'd still rather go down swinging." Halcen pulled his pistol and held it, aimed at the Warlord.

"Do you really think such a small thing would turn the tide of this battle?"

Halcen sighed. "No." Then he thought for a moment. He reached to the sling tied around his waist with his left arm, leaving his stomach exposed. "But this might." He quickly unwrapped the Devil Fruit and took a look at it. _This is it._

Hawkeye's eyes went stiff at the sight of the Devil Fruit. He cursed lowly to himself.

Halcen moved.

Mihawk was faster.

The black blade cut through the air as Mihawk seemed to dance his way toward Halcen.

And all time slowed down.

Halcen knew he was out of time. The Devil Fruit was no longer an option. He dropped the gun still in his right hand, and pulled his dagger instead. He held it out tight and pushed his last bit of Haki into it. As the wicked blade swung down at him, the pirate's life flashed before his eyes.

The sound of metal clanging together rang through Halcen's ears. His knife made contact with the great sword. He was able to block the blow.

Mihawk did not seem as impressed as Halcen was. In fact, it seemed to agitate him.

"Now ain't that something," Halcen smirked.

"Not really." And then Mihawk kneed Halcen's elbow, and his blocking arm went off to the side, leaving Mihawk's blade unhindered.

And in the split second, all Halcen could say is "Ah, shit."

And then blackness overtook him. He could barely feel anything. For a moment, the world around him disappeared. And when he came back… he saw his own blood, dripping off a black blade. He couldn't move, he couldn't speak. He could barely even see. And then the pain hit him. Overwhelming… And he spewed.

Mihawk had stopped Halcen from eating the Devil Fruit. Now, he couldn't even move. "That's one threat down."

"ENOUGH!"

Everybody froze, as if something had taken them over. Some overwhelming presence that they had never felt before.

Everybody, that was, except for Mihawk, who turned to the source; a tall old man.

Grey stepped forth. "That's… enough."

"And who are you to tell me that?"

"I am the first mate of this ship, Axcel D. Grey, and I will not let you shed any more blood here today! And if it must be blood you get, then it will be mine!"

"Alright, then I can play with you for a bit. I seem to have broken the other toys."

Grey remained silent, but moved forward, never removing his eyes from Mihawk, and put his fists up.

"What? No weapon?" Mihawk laughed.

"The wicked are beaten with these bare hands," Grey said, coldly.

Mihawk shrugged. "Alright, then." He swung forward with his long blade.

Grey moved quickly to the right side, saw an opening in Mihawk's ribs and went in to strike with his right hand.

But his fist his metal. Mihawk was able to pull the blade back in time, just barely blocking Grey's hit. "You're fast, old man."

"I'm only warming up," Grey warned.

"We'll see." Mihawk kicked his right leg, trying to sweep under Grey's legs.

But Grey threw out his left arm and blocked the incoming kick.

Mihawk grunted in frustration, then pushed Grey off with the weight of his blade.

Grey took a step back, and as Mihawk began to swing his sword across where Grey's head was, Grey ducked. Then went in to strike, again with his right fist. This time, Mihawk wasn't fast enough. The strike landed on Mihawk's face, making him stumble to the right.

Mihawk caught himself before he went spiraling. "That was a hell of a punch," he said, shocked, trying to regain his stance. He knew he couldn't let this old man land anymore blows. He didn't know if he'd be able to survive many. He had to finish this fast. Mihawk threw up his left arm to block Grey's next punch, deflecting it. Then grasped his sword tight and swung across the chest area, where Grey was still recovering.

But the old man was fast. He dropped to his knees and the blade swung through his long swaying hair instead.

Mihawk redirected the sword and came down straight atop where Grey knelt on the ground. The black steel merely cut into the wood of the deck of the Black Tail instead.

Grey had moved to the side fast enough to avoid the hit.

"You're fast for an old man."

"You're not a very good shot for one of the 'World's Greatest Swordsman,'" Grey taunted.

Mihawk was enraged. He began a flurry of swings, trying to kill this squirrely old man. Grey was, admittedly having a little trouble keeping up. His body was old. He wasn't as limber as he once was. This fight was already putting a strain on him. He needed to get this done fast, if he could even survive.

Finally, Mihawk got the old man. He swung straight across, and Grey attempted to dodge again, but wasn't quite out of the way in time. He missed the majority of the cut, but the tip sliced across from the center of his chest to the edge of his right shoulder.

"Agh!" Grey immediately put his left hand to his shoulder, covering his bleeding wound.

"Finally," Mihawk said, collected. He was in control now, or so he thought.

Grey looked angrily at Mihawk, who stood triumphantly, as if he had already won. He took a deep breath. _Come on, Grey. Get your shit together. You can do this…_ He looked about the ship and settled his eyes on Halcen. _If you don't, he dies. I can't let that happen._ He and Halcen locked eyes. Halcen was in pain. He needed help.

Grey rushed forward, throwing Mihawk off.

Mihawk swung his giant sword downward.

Grey stopped short, and threw up his left arm to block the sword. Black steel met black skin.

"You too?" Mihawk gasped.

The crew looked on at Grey in shock.

"Grey can use Haki?" Bo said lowly.

 _Just who is this man?_ Kazuki thought to himself.

"Oh, my God," Jory gasped in amazement.

But Grey's Haki was only able to cover a part of his body at a time. At this moment, it was only his left arm. He moved it and grasped hard onto Mihawk's right wrist, squeezing tightly. He couldn't use his sword now. Grey pushed black Haki to his right arm as well, then sent a flying fist into Mihawk's face. The sheer force alone attempted to send Hawkeye flying across the deck, but Grey held his wrist tight, pulling him back, and throwing another right into his face. He used his arm liked a rope to bind Mihawk to the ground, and hit him twice more.

Mihawk had had enough. When he was pulled back, after being hit four times, he brought his left arm out and smashed Grey in the face with it. The old man was sent tumbling across the deck. Mihawk had control of his sword once more. He was heaving. "I gotta say, you impress me!" he said as he walked toward the old man, trying to get up of the ground. "I haven't been given this much of a challenge since Red-Hair."

"Shanks?" Grey looked up at Mihawk through a bruised eyes. Mihawk had blood over his face. "You know Shanks?"

Mihawk took a moment. " _You_ … know Shanks?"

Grey took a moment. "I trained him."

Mihawk's eyes grew wide in excitement. "No… I can't… believe… That can't be true."

"It is," Grey said, with considerable confidence.

"Who are you, old man?"

 _My thoughts exactly,_ Kazuki thought.

"No one important… to you," Grey answered calmly.

"Maybe I don't need confirmation. But if it is true… If you really did train Shanks, then you and I are going to have some fun."

"You call this fun?" Grey shouted.

"Come now, old man. Your prodigy and I used to fight like this all the time. The earth would shake with the ferocity of our battles. Surely you won't take away what little entertainment I have."

"The difference here is you're trying to kill my Captain and his crew!" Grey stood up. "This isn't a game to me!"

" _Captain_? That weakling? You call him ' _Captain_?' How pathetic."

"Yeah… he might be weak now. But he's only gonna get stronger. And in a few short years, he'll surpass both of us, easily. I've watched him grow from just a kid. He's the smartest, most passionate person I've ever met. And I would gladly lay down my life for him. So yes, ' _Captain_.''

"Moving speech," Mihawk guffed. "Are you ready to die now?"

Grey rushed in and grappled Mihawk's torso, squeezing his arms around the man's back and clutched.

Mihawk kneed Grey in the stomach, grabbed him by the back of the head, and pulled him back at arm's length. He then raised up his sword to finish the job.

Grey threw up his left arm, Haki coated, once more, blocking the blow.

"Not enough," Mihawk said, then pushed even harder, cutting through Grey's Haki and sliced down the left side of his body.

Grey fell to his knees with a howl. Blood splashed on the wood under him. The wound was quite deep. He was sure this is where Mihawk would end him.

"It's a pity," Mihawk said. "I only just found you, but I have to kill you. I have so much I would like to thank you for. Thank you for teaching Shanks how to be a great fighter. Thank you for giving me many years of rivalry. Even more, thank you for _this_ fight. I have been itching for a new fight since Shanks became a Yonko. He's gotten soft and boring. This reminded me why I fight. So thank you. I shall kill you first so you don't have to watch your crewmates die."

Grey refused to let that happen.

As the blade came down once, more, so did Grey go up. His arms crossed in a black "x" that blocked the steel. "I WILL NOT LET YOU!" He shouted. Then he kicked Mihawk in the stomach, throwing the man back.

Grey followed up by tackling on top of Mihawk. Grey straddled him, holding him down with one arm and then began to pummel his face with the other. "NOW! YOU! DIE!"

But Mihawk was able to get out of it. He reached his left arm up and began pushing with all his might against Grey's neck to the left side, eventually forcing Grey to give way and he flipped to the side. As Grey struggled to get his standing, Mihawk swung the giant blade with his right arm across, and flung a massive wave through the air, that caught Grey.

Grey was able to protect his torso for the most part with his Haki, but he was still thrown back. He hadn't expected that, especially this deep into the fight. Mihawk was pulling out all the stops now. But when Grey looked at him…

Mihawk seemed to be barely able to stand straight, or even still for that matter. His head had taken the majority of the beating. His face was bloody and cracked. He spit blood. He was clearly tired. He was woozy. There was a good chance he had a concussion. "Well… I never expected this," he said.

Grey didn't really say anything. He was pretty tired himself. It had been a long time since he went all out like this… his body wasn't used to it. He was getting old. He didn't know how much more he could take before he collapsed. He readied his fists and stood as stiff as he could.

"I think…" Mihawk began… "… That we're at a stalemate. Neither one of us can win… neither one of us can kill the other. Our only option would to be to continue to fight until we both die… OR… I could let you go, and we both live to fight another day."

"Are you… surrendering?" Grey asked, confused.

"Not at all. This is a… postponing. We'll fight again… another day. After we've both healed. Think of this as a professional courtesy. I, at least, owe you this much… for Shanks."

Grey nodded.

"But…" He looked to Halcen, who starred up at him with blistering green eyes. "Next time I meet your crew, _Captain_ Avarik Halcen, I will kill them. This is your one out. So steer clear of my waters."

"What about the World Government?" Grey asked.

Mihawk looked at Grey again. "I will simply tell them… that I didn't find you. The ocean is a big place. We could have easily missed each other. And you left, merely thinking that you had just missed the ship."

Grey nodded.

Mihawk turned, and almost fell, but regained his footing. He returned his sword to his back, then walked off the ship and boarded his raft. They watched as he pulled away, never turning back to look at them.

Grey went to work immediately. He rushed to Halcen, who was bleeding profusely, but going to live.

Loyola had already taken care of Jory, who was going to be fine. She was tending to the snipers' legs at the moment, since she hadn't the ability to get to Halcen with Hawkeye in the way.

Bailu began yammering. "And I had just fixed this damn ship, and now this happens. It's always fucking something with you bloody pirates."

"Shut the fuck up, Bailu!" Grey shouted. His face twitched. "Now is not the time for your petty whining!" He stared down the man, with fire in his eyes.

Bailu backed down.

Grey went to Loyola. "Status report?"

"Jory's wound is bad, but he'll be okay. It's gonna take him a long time to heal. But he should regain all functionality."

"Bo and Kazuki?" He looked at the snipers, who sat against the wall, eyeing him.

"Their wounds are minor," Loyola said. "But they need to stay off their feet until it heals."

"Good. What about Halcen?"

"He's the worst case. But we've seen what he's gone up against before. He's got will, that one. He'll be okay. I'm gonna have to take a look at your wounds too."

"Take care of Halcen first."

"Alright."

"Thank you," Grey said. He went to Halcen and said, "Don't worry. I'm gonna take care of this."

Halcen could barely move, but he definitely couldn't talk. He just eyed Grey and nodded.

Grey turned to Valentina. He was enraged. "Get us back to Corteano, _now_ ," he growled. "I have an old friend to talk to."


	21. Broken Bones And Bitter Disappointment

**AN: NEW CHAPTER BITCHES!  
**

 **And unfortunately, I still do not own One Piece. However, once I take over the world, ALL WILL BE MINE!**

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Broken Bones And Bitter Disappointment

The Black Tail pulled into the bustling harbor of Corteano. The desecrated city loomed over the small ship as if it were a towering giant, preparing to destroy them. And that was exactly what it was trying to do. This city, the people, the ocean; all had done nothing but try to hurt them.

Halcen had begun to heal. He could stand, but his bandaged body ached and shook at the attempt to walk. It was slow going. He had never taken such severe wounds. Loyola was in no way a doctor, but she was pretty decent at basic first aid. She had cleaned their wounds the best she could, and bandaged them up.

Grey knew they were in a bad way, and he had little way of holding off these forces himself. That's why he needed Halcen. Grey felt guilt weigh down upon him. Halcen was in the most critical condition of everybody. He was their Captain. He was supposed to be the invincible one. He was supposed to be the sacred one. He was supposed to be the protected one. And yet, Grey had almost let him die… twice.

Grey shook his head and refocused on what was in front of him. _This isn't the time for that. We have more important things than my self-pity._

Grey too, was wrapped in gauze and makeshift bandages. He was stiff from the pain, but still able to move for the most part. He had definitely taken the most blows, but none of his wounds were serious. The two in the most serious condition were Halcen and Jory.

Jory was doing relatively fine. He had only taken one hit, but he didn't have Haki to protect him like Halcen and Grey, therefore, his one wound was the deepest. He needed help doing everything. But he was yet young, and his body was still strong. He would heal fine.

The only other two that had been injured were Kazuki and Bo. And their only injuries were relatively small cuts on their legs. They only needed to stay off their feet, so they were content to hang out down below deck on their cots until they got to Loguetown.

Their ship pulled into the harbor, and docked with the rest of the ships that sailed these seas. Grey put out the anchor and tied them to the dock. Halcen stood up and watched as everything began to unravel.

Bailu was first up. He shouted "I'm not gonna spend another fucking second on this cursed ship!" He began storming toward the dock.

Halcen stood before him, cutting him off. "What are you talking about?"

"I didn't sign up for fighting Yonko and Warlords! I'm not risking my neck for a bunch of ungrateful and inept pirates! I'm out!"

"Max and I have deal!" he shouted.

"Well you can take your deal and shove it up your ass! The only way you're gonna keep me on this ship is if you kill me! I'm done! I'm through! Get the fuck out of my way!" the old man yelled at the pirate captain.

Halcen stepped aside and the old man passed him by.

Then came Loyola and Jory. Jory's chest was the only part bandaged. Loyola had to help him limp toward the dock and off the boat as well.

"I suppose you're leaving too."

Loyola spoke up, while Jory hung to her side shamefully. "We can't stay here. We can't risk our lives for people we barely know. We… have to take care of ourselves first. I'm sure Max will be mad, but we have to do for ourselves." And then they left.

Halcen looked back to see Valentina had come to follow suit.

"You too?" Halcen asked in disappointment.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, almost in tears, "But they're right. I can't do this." She followed the old man off the ship in a hurry.

Then it was just Halcen, Grey, Kazuki, and Bo, alone on their ship. They had no shipwright, no navigator… no nothing. He had worked so hard to make this work and it had just disintegrated around him. Halcen felt the devil fruit on his waist once again, just to be sure he still had it. He motioned to Bo and Kazuki. "Are you guys gonna be alright here?"

"Not like we can _go_ anywhere," Bo said.

Kazuki shook his head in annoyance at his friend, then said "Just go."

"Alright, let's go," Halcen said to Grey. Grey helped Halcen walk to Max's bar. He was sure to have a place they could take them to be treated for their injuries.

There was nobody inside by the time they got there, except Max and Pad themselves.

"What the hell is going on?!" Max shouted as the two men came through their door. "I just got an earful from grouchy old Bailu. Jory looks like he's on his deathbed. I had to send him to the medic. What happened?"

Halcen was annoyed by the instant drama. "What's with the third degree? What are you, my mom?"

"Halcen!" Max shouted in anger.

"God! Were we attacked!" Halcen shouted back.

"What? By who?"

"A new warlord, making his bones."

"Wait… what?"

"The clown set us up!"

"Wait… If that's true, how are you even standing here?"

"Grey was able to hold him off."

The Mink was taken aback. "This old man? Went toe to toe with one of the seven warlords?"

Halcen sighed in agony. "Yes."

"Where is he?" Grey asked, changing the topic.

"The clown?" Max asked.

Grey nodded.

"He went to another bar. Uhm… Lucy's. It's a few streets down. I think he got sick of Pad being the only company."

Pad looked at Max with disdain.

"Can you take care of him?" Grey asked, motioning to Halcen.

"Alright, alright. Pad, call the medic here. We'll take care of you!"

Pad nodded.

Grey stormed out the door and headed out into the streets of Corteano. This damned city was only ever causing trouble. And now even worse, Buggy was involved in that trouble. "Damn him," Grey cursed to himself.

He charged through the streets, through the pandering masses of no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealers. He was on a mission. Those pig-stealers would have to wait.

The sign for the bar had the image of big-breasted woman lying on top of the word "Lucy's." This wasn't just a bar. Grey busted in, with no regard for delicacy. He was far too angry to let himself be composed.

The inside was quite large. It held several hundred square feet, just on the main floor. Purple and pink lights rained down on them from the ceiling, to set the mood, along with electronic music. To the right was a bar lining the wall. To the front, there was a stage with a steel pole coming down from the ceiling. There was a single naked woman there, dancing. She seemed rather young, early 20's. Grey felt pity for her; coerced into sell her body just to get by. But this wasn't the time for such thoughts.

He spotted the clown, hanging out in a corner booth at the far side of the club. There were two girls at the table with him, one on each side. They were still clothed, cuddling up to him and flirting with him. You could hear his disgusting laugh from across the club.

"BUGGY!" Grey shouted, his raging voice echoed through the club.

Everything around was silenced. Everyone turned to stare at this tall old man that had ruined their party.

"Grey?!" Buggy coughed. He squirmed out of the table, around the women. "Wh-what are you doing here?" He noticed Grey's bandages.

"You mean what am I doing _alive_?"

"I have no idea what you're referring to," his scratchy voice tried to play off without fear.

"YOU TRIED TO HAVE ME KILLED!"

"Why would I do that?"

Grey's face twitched. "I have no idea. But I'm gonna find out."

"N-n-n-n-n-no, t-t-trust me! I had n-nothing to do with it!"

"TRUST YOU?! My Captain and our crew are in dire straits! You sent us to get killed by a Shichibukai!" Grey began walking towards the little man. "NOW TALK!"

Buggy's face melted away to an angry expression. "I really wish you had just died out there! But you've always been one of those men who don't know when to die! It looks like he did quite a number on you though. I'll just have to finish you off!" Buggy reached his right hand behind his back, then quickly flung his whole arm up, aimed at Grey. There were three knives in his hand, one between each finger. Then his hand shot off from his wrist like a cannon.

Grey managed to dodge the incoming knife missile. He stopped to the side. "I almost forgot about your Devil Fruit."

Screams could be heard around them as the people in the club feared for their lives. People began to stream out of the place. They had come for a bloody good time, but they didn't think it would get literal. This was going to be a battle to the death and nobody there wanted their lives on the line.

Grey charged at Buggy. His body was a little slow. He had healed a bit in the travel time, but not all the way. He was still fast enough though. He swung his right fist upwards, knocking into Buggy's jaw.

The ugly clown's head popped off and flew into the air. "Damn you, old man! Just die!" Buggy's short body remained on the ground. He flung all his might into throwing his left arm in a high arc at Grey's face.

The man was thrown back a few feet and twisted down to his knees. _He's a lot stronger than I remember him being._

Buggy then separated his body from his feet, cutting off at the ankles. His body began floating toward Grey and then he swiftly swung his right knee into Grey's face, knocking the old man down. "BAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I almost thought this was going to be hard!" Buggy cawed. "You're making this too easy, old man! But of course, against the Mighty Buggy, you're nothing!" His voice cackled and wheezed as he went on.

Grey spat blood on the ground. His wounds from Mihawk were opening up. He wasn't supposed to do anything strenuous for a while. His body shook as he finally stood up and faced his old crewmate. "Buggy! That's enough!" And then a sharp pain shot through his back and he dropped to his knees. His right arm swung around to grab Buggy's hand.

"You gotta watch out," Buggy laughed. "In our flying circus, who knows what could be floating around out there?! GUWAHAHAHA!"

The three knives had penetrated his back. Grey slowly pulled the blades out by holding onto Buggy's hand. Buggy tried to recall his arm, but Grey held on tight.

"L-LET GO!" he shouted.

Grey pried the knives from Buggy's grip and tossed them to the ground. "You know… I was going to reason with you, but you had to turn this into a fight. I didn't want to hurt you, Buggy." He stared up at the man, and slowly unfurled the fingers in the hand he held.

"What are you doing?! Give me that!"

 _ **SNAP!**_

"OW!" Buggy howled. "Dammit, Grey, give me my-"

 _ **SNAP!**_

"YOU BASTARD!" Buggy sent his floating body at Grey, right leg up, ready to swing.

Grey reached out with his left arm and grabbed the leg, then used it as a handle to swing Buggy's body down to the ground with a thud. He let go of the hand and grabbed onto Buggy's neck with both hands, then began squeezing.

"Ugh- Grey," Buggy squealed. "Stop."

"I know how your powers work, Buggy," Grey said. "Your body parts may disconnect, but they all still serve their purpose." He squeezed tighter.

Buggy began to black out. His loss of focus forced the remaining parts of his body to regroup around his body, where Grey was holding him down to the ground. "Alright," Buggy gurgled, now staring up at the man. "What do you want?"

Grey held onto Buggy's throat, but loosened the tightness. "Why did you do it?!"

"I didn't have much of a choice! I was caught! The World Government offered me a deal. I send some pirates to their assassin, then I get to walk and they wipe my bounty."

"But why _you_?"

"I didn't know it was _you_ they wanted until I got here. I was told the Captain was Avarik Halcen. End of story. I said yes."

"You're a disgrace!"

"You think I like this? You think I like being the walking clown? I never wanted this life! I wasn't fit for combat and murder! I just wanted to be a treasure hunter! But that automatically makes you a pirate in this life! I have to stay alive, by any means necessary!"

"Poor Buggy," Grey said, sarcastically. "Always the victim!"

"You don't know what it's like! You've always been strong. You've always been powerful. You, Roger, Shanks. You were all blessed with this amazing power. And I got shit! I got stuck in your shadow. I got swept up by your rules! I'm just playing the game I was forced into."

"You break my heart, Buggy." He raised his right first.

"Dammit!" Buggy closed his eyes.

Grey threw his fist down at the floor next to Buggy, shattering the wood and stone underneath, spraying around them. Grey sat back for a moment, then stood up and began to walk out.

Buggy opened his eyes, then stood up behind Grey. "Now what?"

Grey stopped, but didn't look back. "You continue wasting your life sprawling the East Blue. But if I ever see you again… I'll kill you." Then Grey left.

Grey got back to Max's bar with new wounds and previous ones reopened. He limped in with blood dripping from his body. His mouth was full of blood, and his back was in torsion. Everybody looked up at him.

Max, Pad, Halcen and a medic were the only ones there. The medic was taking care of Halcen's wounds. Halcen looked up at Grey. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Buggy tried to kill me."

"Fuck. What did you do?"

"I put him down," Grey said solemnly. "How are _you_ doing?"

"I guess I'm alright," he said, looking himself over. "They said there won't be any permanent damage. I should be fine in a few weeks. I keep getting told to stay out of fights, but I keep getting forced back into them." You could hear the anger in his voice.

Grey nodded.

"You ought to let them take care of that," Halcen said, motioning to Grey's back.

Grey nodded again, then groaned as he tried to walk to the table where he could sit down and let the medic take care of him. He began work immediately. Grey stood still for a few minutes while Halcen continued talking to Max.

Halcen sighed. "Well, seeing as how this turned into a shitstorm, I'm gonna need Jin and Fein back now."

"Whoa… where's the Kairoseki?" Max asked.

Halcen blinked, then looked at Max, dumbfounded. "There… IS no Kairoseki."

"Then no deal. I keep the boys."

"Do you not understand what's going on here?"

"I understand perfectly. I gave you a ship and crew, and I've still to be repaid."

"Your crew just left!" Halcen shouted.

"That's your fault, for getting into this mess, not mine."

"I was set up!"

"That doesn't suddenly make us even. Even if I did take off the crew _now_ , you still owe me for backpay and the ship. You don't have anything to pay me with! Trust me, I would much rather have you trade for them, than just having them. I don't like what comes next, but rules are rules."

"GODDAMIT MAX!" Halcen slammed a fist down on the table he was at, causing a massive dent.

Everybody jumped. Pad reached for the gun under the counter, but didn't pull it out.

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH!" He shouted in rage. "I was stabbed in the back by my best friend, kicked out of the only home I've known since I was a kid! I had Marines try to kill me! I had a goddamn wanna be bear-god try to kill me and kidnap one of _your_ crew! Then I had to risk _my_ life to protect her from being forced to eat this damned Devil Fruit, that I have since had to carry around like a fucking fanny-pack to keep everyone who might want to kill me from taking it! This goddamn wolf almost ate it when I went to pick up-"

"WHOA! WHOA! WHOA! Hold on there, cowboy!" Max interrupted.

"WHAT?!" Halcen shouted. "What else could you possibly want?"

"Did you say you have a… Devil Fruit?"

"YES! I've been carrying it around since I got it so nobody could use it to fucking kill me! I tried to eat it when Hawkeye attacked us, but he stopped me. At this point, it's just causing problems!"

"Can… I see it?"

Halcen looked at Max with confusion. "What?"

"Can I see it?" Max repeated with emphasis.

"Do you not understand the need for me to keep it away from people that want to hurt me?"

"Oh my God, just show me the damn thing!"

"Fine! Fuck!" Halcen reached behind him and untied the cloth from his waist and unwrapped the Devil Fruit, showing its red flesh. It seemed to gleam in the fluorescent lights of the bar.

"Oh my God!" Max gasped. "Why didn't you just tell me you found a Devil Fruit!?"

"I was a little busy trying not to get killed."

"You should have told me! You should know by now, anytime you find something interesting, you tell me!"

"It's not like it's worth anything… it is?" Halcen asked.

"Oh, I'm sure it's worth a lot." Max said. "Let me get the book!" He scuffled off to his office and began digging through drawers.

"Book?" Halcen asked quietly. He looked to Grey, who just shrugged.

"AH! GOT IT!" Max said. He came back to the table where Halcen was sitting and displayed it. It was a thick, brown leather book. "This is a book of all known Devil Fruits. It says everything one would need to know, including a pricing guide."

"Seriously? This is a thing?" Halcen asked.

"Oh, it's a big thing. Devil Fruits are not only rare, but incredibly powerful. Each one is worth its own small fortune."

"Really?" Halcen could see how this was so important. Max was clearly excited. He wasn't even trying to contain it. Halcen had hit the gold mine.

"Alright, let's find it. Red skin, black stars…" He started flipping through the pages. Each stroke of passing pages was a pounding heart.

Halcen could see all these different Devil Fruits. They were all so interesting, not only to look at, but he was sure in their unique powers as well. He had never really considered this before.

"Here it is," Max said at last. "The Neru Neru no mi. The Sleep Sleep fruit. A paramecia type. It turns a person into a sleep human."

"Asleep human?" Halcen asked sarcastically. "That's… dumb. Where do they get this shit?"

Max groaned in annoyance. "It gives the user the ability to make foes fall into a deep slumber. That's interesting."

"Not sure that would have been as handy against Hawkeye as I would have liked. He was far too skilled a fighter for me to have time to learn how to control that," Halcen trailed off, his mind wandering. He snapped back to attention. "I would have needed an instant power boost."

"Well," Max began, "if you ever desire to eat a Devil Fruit, you need to be very careful about which one you eat. You can only have one, and once you take it, you're stuck with it."

"Not sure I want to be stuck with this sleep power my whole life."

"Right then."

"How much is it worth?" Halcen asked.

"Quick to it, eh?" Max laughed. "Here… Wow." Max's eyes went wide and his face twitched. Halcen could swear he saw drool form.

"What? How much?" Halcen moved over to see the page better.

"It's worth a hundred million beri," Max said with deliberation.

Halcen's chest tightened. Then he smiled. _That's a lot of money._

Max looked at Halcen. "I'll give you twenty million for it."

"Are you mad?"

"You owe me the sixty mil for the boys' loan. And I need to make something off selling it. The middle man needs his cut."

"Okay. But if I hadn't brought you ANYTHING, you never would have seen a cent off the loan, and you know it. Who the fuck loans out to random kids anyway? That was just a bad decision on your part."

"They actually had a really good laid out plan. They just didn't stick to it. They swindled me!"

"Don't sit here and play the fool. You made a bad call, and now you're paying for it. I'll give you half of the sixty."

"Hell no! I still gave you a ship and crew!"

"But your crew left, and the ship needs repairs."

"Fine, I'll fix the ship and you can keep it. It'll be yours. But I can't do anything about the crew leaving. I can't force somebody to risk their lives for pirates."

"I'll take the ship, and you have forty mil on top of it."

"So you want sixty and the ship?"

"And throw in the book," Halcen said.

" _This_ book?" Max asked. "It's a rare collector's item."

"Don't act like you can't get another one. Give me the book."

"Alright," Max shrugged. "Deal."

Halcen and Max shook hands.

 _Sucker._

 _Sucker._


	22. In Bad Company

**AN: Here is the new chapter guys! Loving this shit! Hope you're enjoying it too! :)**

 **My next chapter might take a little bit longer because I've been pretty busy with work so I haven't had much time or energy to do as much writing. But look forward to it when it hits.**

 **As always, I do not own One Piece. I am sorry. XD**

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In Bad Company

Halcen and Grey sat in the bar with Max and Pad, taking part in small talk. It was excruciating to Halcen, but he had no choice; they were waiting for their friends to join them. Max had made a call from his Den-Den Mushi. But he had to suffer through it.

Grey could feel them approaching before they hit the door.

Two armored men escorted Jin, Fein, and Shira through the door. Shira was being carried in by Fein in his arms. Most likely they didn't trust a wolf wandering on its own. The two boys looked unharmed. They didn't have scuffs or blood or any noticeable injuries. Halcen was sure they had been taken good care of, as requested. Max had been honorable in this deal.

Jin's pale face went dark when he saw the opposite was true of Halcen and Grey. They were covered in bandages, bloodstains, and grime. "What happened?" Having not heard it in a little while, Halcen was thrown off by his deep voice.

"We'll talk about it later," Halcen said. "For now, are you two alright?"

Shira whined.

Halcen groaned. " _Three."_

Jin nodded. "We're fine. We were put up in a nice place."

"Fein?" Halcen asked.

Fein scrunched his face and nodded. "Fine." He shrugged.

"Alright, well, we better get out of here. We've got stuff to do." Halcen said, standing up. He looked back to Max, nodded his head.

"I'll go ahead and have that ship fixed up," Max said.

"Appreciate it," Halcen responded.

And then the four men, and their wolf, headed out to the docks.

"We're gonna go ahead to the ship and check in with Bo and Kazuki," Halcen said.

"What about the others? Are they in town getting supplies or something?" Jin asked.

Halcen stopped short. "No, they uh… aren't coming."

"Why not?"

Halcen sighed. "They think it's too dangerous. They're not pirate material. They're shipping workers, not warriors."

"And they're just _now_ realizing this?" Fein asked.

"We were attacked… by a Warlord. He almost killed everyone on board."

"That's why you guys are bandaged up," Jin said.

Halcen nodded. "He evenoverwhelmed _me_. The only reason any of us are still alive, is because Grey was able to wear him out."

"So, let me get this straight… now it's just the four of us? I mean, Bo and Kazuki are leaving as soon as we get to Loguetown."

"Yeah… the _four_ of us." Halcen looked to Grey. "I want to try to find a navigator before we leave, but being that this isn't really a big _pirate_ town, we're probably out of luck. So we're gonna have to go ahead to Loguetown ourselves."

"I knew this was gonna be a disaster," Fein said.

"You know, I was almost killed, trying to save _your_ life. A little gratitude would be nice. We were set up, and I _still_ made sure to take care of you. I gave Max thatDevil Fruit I had been carrying around as payment for _you_. Now would be a good time to thank me for not killing you when I had the chance."

"You really still think you could have taken me?" Fein laughed. "I barely showed you half of what I got."

"Let's not do this," Jin said.

Halcen got in Fein's face. "Do you wanna go right now?" He tensed up his body, getting ready to swing, but his wounds flared up and he fell to his knees clutching his stomach.

"Halcen!" Grey shouted in worry. "Take it easy."

"Wimp," Fein said.

"I went up against a Warlord, you prick!"

"And you got owned! You talk big but when it came to it, you didn't have it in you. And you want to go up against Whitebeard? One of the Yonko? One of the most powerful men in the world?"

Halcen stood up, his body shaking. He looked down solemnly, face going dark. "You're right. I'm nowhere near strong enough… _yet_." He looked at Fein with rage. "But I refuse to give up just because it's going to be hard."

Fein just stared.

"If _you_ don't want to be here, you can leave. There are dozens of ships that come through all the time. If you want to go back to your tower, go. I paid your debt to Max, so you'll be free. But at least I'll be out here, actually trying. If all you're going to do is complain, then I don't need you. I only want people who give it everything they got."

Fein's face twitched. His pride had been hurt.

"Now, you can either fall in line or you can bail. I can't force you to man up, but I'd respect the shit out of you if you did."

Fein nodded. "Alright. Let's go."

Halcen nodded in honor. "That's what I like to hear." He reached his hand out to take Fein's. They shook hands.

The group turned their attention back to the Black Tail. Halcen went down below deck to find Bo and Kazuki. He found them in the bunks, playing a game of cards over an old crate they had turned upside down, killing their boredom.

"Hey guys," Halcen said, getting their attention.

"What's up?" Kazuki asked.

"You pick up Jin and Fein?" Bo asked.

"So, good news and bad news," Halcen said.

"What did you do?" Bo asked.

"I made a deal with Max. I gave him that Devil Fruit to pay off all the debts. So the Black Tail is now officially mine, Jin and Fein are free, and we got plenty of extra beri. Bad news is we don't have a navigator. So most likely, we're gonna have to go to Loguetown without one. I'm hoping we can find one there. We're just gonna have to be low key about our entrance."

"So we're leaving?" Bo asked, excited.

"First thing tomorrow. Max is gonna have the ship fixed up and we're gonna be on our way. So I'm gonna get us a few rooms if you guys wanna get out of the ship. Think you can make the walk?"

"I suppose we could do that."

"And we're gonna do some shopping for supplies. So if you guys need anything, write it down."

The crew all went together to an upscale hotel in the city. It was relatively near the harbor so Bo and Kazuki didn't have too far to walk. Their legs were good enough to walk, but not strenuously. They tried to say "No Pets" when Shira came in, but Halcen threw some money at it. They got three two-bed rooms. They all dropped off their pack of necessities for the night in their rooms, and met back in Halcen and Grey's room.

"Alright, so," Halcen began. "We'll split up. Grey and I will get necessities and things we need. Jin and Fein, you guys probably need a bunch of stuff since you had to leave most of it at your lab. I know it's gonna be tough, but I can only spare a few hundred thousand beri for you. Use it wisely. Bo and Kazuki, I'm sure you guys have already had enough walking around for the day."

Bo tried to play it off like he was fine. "It wasn't that bad."

"Come on, don't try to play. Your legs are fried. Give yourselves a few more days until you go running about. So you guys sit tight here. I'm sure they got plenty to do here. It's an all inclusive price. So go ahead and relax a little. The rest of us are gonna head out."

Halcen and Grey strolled the bustling streets of Corteano. They had been out shopping for about an hour. Halcen was pretty loaded, with plenty of extra money to throw around. He had picked up a bunch of new stuff. Much of it was non-essentials.

Halcen was nomming on a bar of chocolate he had picked up at one of the street vendors. He was practically drooling over it as he walked.

"Halcen, I know you're happy that you just got paid and all, but did you really need to go through with all this?"

Halcen took stopped short and looked up at Grey. He swallowed the last bit of the candy bar. "I didn't plan for all this to happen. I just went with it. I kinda didn't have a choice in the matter."

Grey shook his head. "No, I mean all this stuff you bought."

Halcen looked at the bags in his hands. "Oh, come on Grey. Let me splurge a little bit. Just because we're pirates doesn't mean we can't enjoy nice things."

Grey just shrugged and continued on.

"Grey," Halcen up with a serious tone.

Grey looked back to see Halcen hadn't moved. "What's going on?"

"We need to talk."

"About what?" Grey's heart stopped for a moment. He wasn't sure he wanted to have another serious conversation. _He's injured because of me. He's going to blame me._

"Your fight with Mihawk."

Grey nodded. "Go ahead."

Halcen hesitated. He took a breath. "You," he said calmly, "saved my life. You saved… everyone."

"What?" Grey was shocked.

"You finally stepped up. It took you a while, but you finally did it."

Grey nodded along. "Okay…?"

"I want you to stay… on the crew. Especially now, with everyone else having left. Bo and Kazuki are gonna be leaving when we hit Loguetown. It'd just be me, Jin, and Fein. And that's… it's just not enough. We need you."

"Ahem," Grey cleared his throat. "Absolutely. I would be honored."

"But there's one thing."

"Anything."

"I need you to promise… that you won't hold back, ever, unless I specifically ask. I need you to be ready to fight like it matters, at all times. I can't have someone on my crew that refuses to do their very best. I'm going against Whitebeard, the most prevalent and powerful pirate in the world. If I can't count on my crew, I can't do this. And I definitely can't do this alone."

"Then you can count on me. I promise."

"Alright, cool. Then we're good." He changed the subject. "I'm hungry. Let's get some food."

The two went to sit down at a diner. Halcen ordered a sandwich and Grey ordered some soup. They began eating their delicious food.

"This place is great," Grey said, smiling.

Halcen took out his new book and started going through it. "This is really interesting. They have all these little facts about all these different fruits. Even their weaknesses. God, that's fucking cool."

"That's interesting," Grey said.

"But…" Halcen groaned.

"What?"

He looked at Grey. "Here's what I don't get. How do they have all this information from all these different fruits, even if they haven't been eaten yet?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, for instance, with the Neru Neru no mi…." He flipped the book to the page on the Sleep fruit. "How did they get all this information on it, if it still hasn't been eaten? Cause we stopped Kumajin from feeding it to Valentina, right? So where does all this information come from?"

"Science?" Grey asked, stumped.

"No… it's like they had first, or maybe second hand, experience with all these fruits. This is all really detailed. It's like, whoever catalogued these… had _witnessed_ them in action. GREY!" Halcen jumped to a conclusion.

"What?!" Grey was startled.

"What if they _did_ have first-hand experience with them? Or at least had help from people who did? What if they _had_ seen these fruits in action before?"

"I'm not following."

"What if the Devil Fruits, all these fruits in here," he motioned to the book, "had been used before? What if… Devil Fruits regrew?"

"Like… came back?"

"Yeah! Like… maybe after somebody dies, their fruit regrows somewhere in the world, and then somebody else finds it? I mean, that would make sense why all this is so detailed."

"I suppose that makes sense," Grey said nodding along. "That's an interesting theory."

"Yeah."

The next day, the six men and their wolf companion arose from their sleep, and began toward to the docks. With their new equipment and supplies in tow, they headed toward the newly repaired Black Tail, to head out on the waters and continue their lives.

Halcen had just stepped onto the wood of the docks, when he heard a voice behind him. "WAIT FOR ME!"

Halcen turned to see Jory, the sixteen year old with the shortly cut brown hair and earnest blue eyes. His torso was still wrapped in the bandages from the fight with Mihawk. The kid hadn't been able to do any damage, but he had saved Valentina's life. That alone was admirable. He had his sword with him, and a bag packed.

"What are you doing here, Jory?" Halcen asked.

"I want to come with you," he said.

"What? No! Go back to Max!"

"I told Max I quit," he said with fierce determination. "I can't go back now. I can't stay here!"

"Don't you have a family? Friends? Why do you want to give up your life to run away on a pirate ship?"

"I don't have any family. When Max found me, I was an orphan in the streets fighting for food. I don't have friends. I've never been good with people. They don't like me. But you… pirates… have a place I can actually _do_ something."

"You can't handle the seas!"

"I know! That's why I want to go with _you_! You can train me! You can teach me how to be strong! Grey was right, in a few years, you'll be stronger than anyone! And I want you to take me with you to the top! I'll help you in your fight against Whitebeard! I'll take on his crew if that's what it takes! I just don't want to be this weak anymore!"

Halcen stared at Jory, as the kid broke it down.

"Once upon a time," he said, holding up the sword.

"Whoa kid, I don't have time for fairy tales. Just get the point."

Jory sighed. "My family. They were a line of knights way back in the day.. And I feel… like I've brought dishonor on them. I failed as a man and a swordsman. I couldn't do anything in the battle with Hawkeye. I don't want to be like this anymore! I want the strength to protect… to actually do something!"

Halcen looked upon the boy, pleading, and could not help but be reminded of his own self when he first set sail.

"You don't have to pay me. I'll carry my own weight, I promise. All I want is for you to train me! Please!"

Halcen chuckled. "Alright, kid. Come on."

Jory looked up in shock, tears nearly filling his eyes. "Really?"

"Yes, but on one condition."

"Anything!"

"Stop crying. We don't need babies in a pirate crew."

Jory puffed up his chest, reset his face, and the nodded. "Right."

"Alright, we better get going. Loguetown awaits!" Halcen turned back to the docks and carried on his walk.

Jory followed closely behind.

Halcen and Jory quickly caught up to the rest of the crew that had stopped to watch them.

"So you're coming too, kid?" Grey asked, with a smile on his face.

"Looks like it," Jory laughed.

"Welcome to the crew."

Jory nodded.

"At least you guys'll have somebody to help out when we leave," Bo said.

"Awww, are you worried about us, Bo?" Jory laughed.

"No, of course, not…. Shut up!"

Everyone laughed.

Grey pulled over to Halcen alone. "Do you really want to let him go through with this?"

Halcen looked at Bo. "I mean, he seems to really want to get back to Loguetown. I think he's got a family there. I can't force them to stay with us."

Grey shook his head. "Not Bo. Jory. Are you sure you want to let him come along? He could get seriously hurt… or killed."

Halcen laughed, then glanced to the side as the boy joked about with the other four guys. "I'm not in the business of standing in the way of people's desires to better themselves. He just needs a little help. He reminds me of me. I think he'll be okay."

Grey shrugged. "Alright."

And then the crew of eight came to the Black Tail. Halcen took a second to look it over. "Looks like they took care of that gash." Then he got a very sudden feeling of joy and excitement. _My ship._

They began to board, getting their stuff loaded up. Jin and Fein had quite a bit of new equipment that took a while to load. Bo and Kazuki already had all their stuff loaded, so they helped with the lighter stuff. Halcen and Grey carried packs of necessities and new equipment of their own.

And then Halcen saw something. He whistled to the crew to get their attention and nodded his head toward the helm of the ship. They all jolted into an alert.

Jory drew his blade and rushed up the starboard side stairs to the helm.

Bo and Kazuki drew their pistols and began to circle.

Fein drew his claws and hopped up the port side stairs. Shira came up beside him in a frenzy and began growling.

Jin stayed back, having no ability to aid in combat.

Grey stayed down on the deck, but readied his fists.

Halcen walked calmly up the stairs, knowing their trespasser didn't have a chance.

A dark-skinned, bald-headed man was standing at their helm, playing with it like a toy. He was rather thin, like he hadn't eaten in a while. He had on sunglasses, so Halcen couldn't see his eyes. He was wearing a dark blue frock jacket with beige pants and black boots. He had a thick jaw and a slightly bulbous nose. He looked to be in his mid 20's. He had a sheathed sword tied to his waist, and what appeared to be a gothic looking cannon on his back. "This is a wonderful ship you have here," he said in a slick voice.

"And who are you?" Halcen asked.

He glanced about, taking a moment to look at each of the crew in the face. "Not a threat, I can promise that."

"Then what are you doing on _my_ ship?"

"I've come to offer my services."

"I'm not interested in whatever you're selling."

He laughed, his face full with a nice smile. "I'm not _selling_ anything."

"Then please leave. I've had enough trouble for a while." Halcen reached for his pistol and pulled it on the man.

He sighed. "I didn't want to have to do this." And then he was gone.

Halcen looked about. He had disappeared from right in front of him. "WHERE IS HE?!"

"Here," came a voice from the sky. The man's boots landed on top of Fein's head, pushing the scrapper down, but not off his feet. The man was light enough on the touch not to actually knock Fein down.

Fein growled, then swiped his hand above his head, trying to grab hold of the man.

But he was too quick. He jumped up into the air again, and this is when Bo began to fire. The man twisted his body in the air to avoid contact.

"He's fast!"

Then he landed down on the main deck and drew his cannon with his one right arm. The dark wooden handle stuck straight out about a foot from the massive two foot charcoal metal cannon. It had a simple squeeze trigger. The heavy muzzle was held steadily aimed at Kazuki, who spun about to aim his own pistol.

This is where Jory jumped in. He swung his sword across, towards the man's left shoulder. But he was too slow. The man had already drawn his sword, but hadn't pulled it from its sheath. He blocked Jory's sword with his own sheathed sword with his opposite hand.

Jory struggled to gain dominance. He pushed with both arms, while this man only used the one to keep him at bay. "He's strong!"

"ENOUGH!" Halcen shouted.

Everyone looked to the ship Captain.

He began walking down to the deck. "Everyone lower your weapons." Though injured he still was, Halcen needed to take control of this situation.

Jory, Bo, and Kazuki did as ordered. Fein and Shira came down to meet everyone else. Grey and Jin stood back silently.

Halcen looked at the intruder. " _You too._ "

"Absolutely," the man said nodding. He retracted his weapons and returned them to their resting places.

"Alright, now what do you want?"

"I told you: I want to offer my services to your crew?"

"And what _services_ might those be?" Halcen asked angrily.

"I'm a navigator. And a pretty damn good one at that."

"And I'm just supposed to believe you magically fell out of the sky?"

"Not at all."

"Then how did you find us?"

"I came here with Buggy," the man began. He made each word count, like he savored them. "I was his navigator for a while. I thought riding with a man that once rode with the King of Pirates would be a bit more fulfilling. But he proved to be a coward. He made a deal to screw over other pirates for a cheap payday. It was demeaning to know I had sided with him. Then I saw _you_ guys. You took his deal, went to fight a Warlord, and returned, without a single death. I watched your man here," he nodded to Grey, "take Buggy on, one on one, and put him in his place. So I thought to myself, I want to be in a crew like that." Every sound he made was like honey, thick and sweet.

"And you couldn't have just said that? You had to put on this show?"

" _You're_ the one that pulled the gun on me. And this way, I got to demonstrate my abilities."

Halcen sighed.

"I'm a good investment. I've traveled quite a bit. I know what I'm doing at the helm of a ship. And like I said: you have a nice ship."

"So you were looking for a ship with a former Roger pirate?" Halcen asked.

"I wasn't _looking_ , no. But I found one with Buggy, and I was disappointed."

"Well, you've found another one."

"Excuse me?" the man asked.

"The man you watched pummel your former Captain, is Axcel D. 'Saint' Grey, formerly of the Roger Pirates." He motioned to his first mate.

" _You_?" The man gasped as he looked to Grey. "You were one of the Pirate King's crew?"

Grey nodded. He didn't want the attention, but he knew Halcen had a reason. "I am," he said confidently.

The man stared at Grey for a moment. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he reached his hand out.

Grey took it.

"At last, a _real_ pirate."

"And _I,_ " Halcen began.

" _You_ are Avarik Halcen, Captain of the Chaos Pirates."

"That's right," Halcen said, astounded.

"Buggy was sent to have _you_ killed. I am fully aware of you."

"Alright. Then _who_ are _you_?" Halcen asked.

The man took off his shades to show his violet eyes. "I am Morkine," he said, reaching out to take Halcen's hand.

"Well, Morkine, welcome to the Chaos Pirates."

"Thank you."

The two shook on it.

"I gotta say though," Halcen said, returning his hand, "I was kinda hoping for some feminine energy."

"Sorry to disappoint," Morkine said.

Shira whined.

"Hey!" Fein shouted. "Shira's a girl."

"She's a dog, Fein!" Halcen shouted.

Shira growled.

" _Wolf,_ whatever."

"I could put on a dress, if you really wanted me to," Jory said, "But that would cost you."

"For the love of god, Jory," Kazuki said, "Please don't."

"Halcen," Grey said, "I think it's best you cool it on the 'feminine energy' for now."

"Hush, Grey."

Everyone began to laugh.

"Alright, Morkine. Seeing as how you're our new navigator, can you get us to Loguetown?"

"Absolutely."


	23. Welcome To Loguetown

**AN: So I got this done a lot faster than expected. I overcompensated how much writing I did this for how little I thought I was going to be able to get done. In fact, I overcompensated SO much that I actually finished the next chapter as well, but I'll still post that next week.**

 **This chapter marks an important milestone. With this, I break 100K words in my fic. I'm pretty excited by that. :)  
**

 **Also apparently my fic was marked as "Complete" in the settings and I have no idea how that happened. I guess it's been like that for a little while and my views have been down significantly the last few chapters. I fixed it to say "In-Progress," but still... yeah this is still a very much alive fic.**

 **As always, I do not own the rights to One Piece so I'm not allowed to make any money off this story. If I did, I would be rolling in the dough cause this story is fucking awesome, if I do say so myself. Lol**

* * *

Welcome To Loguetown

Once more, the pirates began their voyage from Corteano, with Loguetown as their heading, the island they hoped to find answers. This was where Halcen intended to find information on the whereabouts of Red-Haired Shanks. Since his ascension to Yonko, he had only made one public appearance, and that was in Loguetown.

The crew had begun to warm up to each other and relax. They had gone through a lot of changes in a very short time. They had gained Jin and Fein, but they were taken, and reclaimed, so now they could actually get to know the crew. They had lost Valentina, Loyola, and Bailu, all with necessary jobs for the ship. They had permanently gained Jory, a helpful sword hand. They had gained an entirely new face, Morkine, as their new navigator with a gift for combat. And once they were to finally dock at Loguetown, they would lose the invaluable snipers, Bo and Kazuki.

Halcen hung his head. He was working on building a strong, stable crew. But would it even be enough? Even with all these men, could he still take on Whitebeard? And would he even be able to convince Red-Hair to go to war with the old man?

Jory went to Morkine. In his downtime, he had taken to conversing with the others. He seemed to be the most excited of the crew. "So, you're a swordsman, too?" he asked Morkine.

Morkine still had his sunglasses on. It was a wonder why he always wore them, regardless of the time of day. And his purple eyes were still a mystery. "No, not so much. I really only ever use my blunderbuss," Morkine said in his slick as honey voice. He gripped his sword sheath to motion toward it, " _This_ is just for emergencies. I'm quite bad with it though."

"Blunderbuss?" Jory asked, inquisitively.

Morkine motioned to the cannon on his back. "It's akin to a portable cannon that fires chunks of metal instead of a full cannonball."

"That's weird," Jory said. "Why not just use a pistol instead?"

"The thing about pistols, is that they still need at least a modicum of skill to use. I am not very skilled with weaponry. Blunderbusses are often underestimated, but they're actually quite useful. One can stand back and fire upon a crown encroaching upon him, causing a range of injuries. And if one person were to get too close, one shot would be almost certain death."

"Hmm… that's actually pretty cool. I'm not so good with guns either. That's why I use a sword. If you want, I could practice with you, teach you some moves. I'm not _great_ , but I'm pretty decent."

Morkine laughed. His voice made it sound fake, but it wasn't. "I think I'm okay. Not that I don't appreciate the offer, but Seline is really only for specific emergencies. And thankfully, I won't need to be skilled if such a thing were ever to happen."

"Seline?" Jory asked.

"The sword, her name. It's Seline."

"You named your sword?" Jory asked, befuddled.

"You _didn't_?"

"Is that a thing?" he asked. Jory looked about to find Bo standing over to the side.

Bo nodded in agreement with Morkine. "I named my rifle."

"Really?"

"Her name is Rebecca."

"How did I not know that? Am I the only person who didn't know we were supposed to name our weapons?"

Kazuki walked up. "It's okay. You weren't raised in the same manner as the rest of us. You were taught to fight, but nothing about honor. A weapon's name is an important thing."

Jory looked down at the sword that hung from his hip. He drew it from its sheath and looked at it. The blade glistened in the daylight. It didn't seem like such a spectacular thing as to need a name. It was just a sword to him. He looked about to see Halcen walking by. "What do you think, Halcen?"

Halcen stopped his walking and looked up. "I think the blunderbuss sounds like a decent weapon."

"Ugh, not that. About naming weapons."

"Oh. Well, personally, I've never had a weapon I've thought was important enough to have a name. Everything I've used has been easily replaceable."

"Then you don't think I should name it?" Jory asked, motioning to the sword in his hands.

"I didn't say that. I think you should do what you want. Don't do it just because somebody said you should. But if you do, make sure it fits."

"That sounds fair."

And they continued on through the East Blue, this time, without anyone to stop them. They sailed until they saw their destination. They sailed until they reached Loguetown. It was a fairly large island for the East Blue, but still a bit smaller than Corteano. It didn't have as many high buildings. But this was the last stop for anyone entering the Grand Line via Reverse Mountain. This was mostly a pirate island, but there had since gained a heavy Marine presence. This was the island where Gol D. Roger was born and so too where he was killed, as the King of the Pirates, and where he sent the world into a frenzy, with the greatest treasure hunt in history, for the One Piece. So it was bustled and bristled with the minds that wandered and wondered.

They came upon the docks and Morkine led them in gently. The Black Tail hailed into the cramped docks and the pirates, and their allies looked upon this island with joy, excitement, and worry.

Grey stared out across the island. He couldn't see much from the docks, but he could see the town sign that hung over the entrance to the main alley. "Home," he said lowly to himself.

"How does it feel?" Halcen asked.

"What's that?"

"To be back, after so long?"

Grey sighed. "It's… sobering."

"That's fair. I think we better get in and out as fast as we can."

"I agree."

Halcen turned to the rest of the crew. He watched Bo and Kazuki gather up their things. They came to say goodbye. Everyone gathered around them.

"Halcen," Kazuki said, reaching out a hand, "Thank you, for saving our lives."

Halcen reached out for Kazuki's hand. "You saved our lives as well," Halcen said, earnestly.

"Grey," Kazuki said, bowing his head. "It's been an honor."

Grey laughed. "The honor has been mine. You're good people."

"That actually means a lot, coming from you."

Kazuki went and shook Jory's hand next. "You've been a lot more help than you give yourself credit for. Keep your head up."

"Thanks man," Jory said.

Bo came through the procession next. "Halcen. You've changed my thoughts on pirates. I assumed you were all the monsters that terrorized the seas. But… you're a real man. A good man. So thank you, for helping us out."

Halcen was taken aback. "Of course. Anytime." He smiled.

Bo went to Grey next. "Keep them out of trouble."

Grey shook Kazuki's hand. "Like that's possible with Halcen," Grey said

"You can handle it."

Then he went to Jory and slapped the kid on the back. "Man, you've shown an incredible amount of growth in the short span I've known you. You're gonna do great things, kid."

Jory responded with a big smile. "Are you sure you guys don't wanna stick around and see it yourself?"

Bo laughed. "Unfortunately, we can't. But I'm sure we'll see you around."

And then the two snipers departed from the ship and disappeared within the crowd of chaotic pack mules once they had gotten far enough out. Halcen watched them go without another word. And once they had finally gone from their view… and their lives, only then did he speak.

"Alright, we should go," Halcen stated.

"What's the plan, Captain?"

"Grey, you and I will go looking for info on Shanks."

"Roger."

"Not Roger, Shanks."

"Right," Grey laughed.

"Jory, Morkine, Shira; I need you to stay and watch the ship."

Shira whined.

"Listen, this is my ship, my crew. I know you think you only follow Fein, but you gotta get used to me being in charge."

Fein stepped in. "Chill, girl. Everything will be fine."

Shira stalked away, clearly bothered.

"She's just being moody."

"Alright, and what about us?" Jin asked.

"Jin, Fein; I need you two to scope out the city. You're not wanted or on anybody's radar, so nobody should pay you any mind. Both Grey and I have bounties, we've had dealings with the Marines. I need you two to salvage as much info as you can."

"That, we can do," Jin said.

"Alright, then. Let's go."

And the four departed the Black Tail, and headed out toward the city.

Halcen and Grey walked through the streets of Loguetown. Grey kept looking about, trying to take in all the sights. There was a lot going on.

"So much has changed."

"Well, when was the last time you were here?" Halcen asked.

"I think I was still a teenager."

"Did you really expect it to be the same?"

"I guess not. But you tell me, if you were to ever go back to Kuzonid, would you be able to handle the changes?"

Halcen's face flashed in annoyance.

Grey left it alone. He knew not to press.

And then they came to the town square. There, ahead of them, were the gallows, where Pirate King, the legendary Gol D. Roger was killed before the world.

"Roger," Grey whispered to himself.

"You good?" Halcen asked.

Grey's body shook. "They murdered my best friend. I'll never be ' _good_.'"

"I suppose not."

Grey looked about. His voice shook with anger. "We grew up together, here in these streets. We were just kids… looking for an adventure."

Halcen's eyes never left the giant stand. It was a sigil. A warning to those who would dare defy the World Government and attempt to be free of their constraints. Halcen's fists squeezed tightly. And there the two men stood, in rage at the horrors of the World Government.

"We should go," Halcen said. "Where is this friend of yours?"

"Let's see if we can find out."

* * *

Bo and Kazuki walked through the streets of Loguetown. They carried their packs on their back. Their rifles were tucked safely into them and their pistols were on their hips. They knew not to be totally unprotected. But this was Loguetown, they couldn't walk around with open carry rifles. It just wouldn't swing. Upper brass would have their heads for it.

They finally made their way through the massive city to the far side, where the Marine base was. This was where the two snipers found themselves in trouble. They passed by one of their old mates, and gave him a nod. When they tried to approach, he reacted with shock and rage.

"What the hell?" he shouted. He was a standard issue Marine type. Buzz cut and clean shaven, with a decent build. This was Seaman First Class Orochi Airi. They were familiar with him. They'd gone out on some minor missions with him from time to time, but they weren't necessarily friends. Orochi pulled his pistol on them, his body taunt with fear. "What are you two doing here?!"

"Whoa!" Kazuki shouted, putting his hands up.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Bo shouted.

"Somebody get the Captain!" Orochi shouted. "I've got the traitors!"

"Traitors?" Kazuki asked.

"Fuck," Bo swore. "You gotta be kidding me."

A swarm of like-dressed Marines came swarming in, and immediately there were a dozen on them, circling.

Bo was ready to fight.

"Calm down, Bo," Kazuki said. "We can't fight our way out of this one. We have to let this play out. Put your hands up."

Bo's body shook in anger. "What the hell is going on?"

"I can only surmise; Reluji."

"Damn him."

"Put… your hands… up… Bo. Please. We can't go down like this."

Bo looked about, seeing all these familiar faces of those he had served with over the past several years. They were outnumbered and there was no way they'd get out if it was to come down to a fight. Kazuki was right. Bo sighed, then raised his arms in surrender.

* * *

Halcen and Grey snaked through the backstreets and alleyways of the giant city. They had made their way through the furthest and dirtiest parts. This was where Grey's contact was laying in wait. They came to an old wooden building. It was rather small compared to most of the city's new additions. Grey looked upon it with familiarity. "It's still here."

Grey pushed open the battered wooden door and it creaked. Grey took a second to look around before he entered. It was dark inside, with no lights on, but you could see the dust lingering in the air still. There was a small, cramped living room in front of them, and a tiny kitchen just to the right side. Nothing looked like it had actually been used in a while. But Grey could sense there was somebody there.

"Grey?" Halcen asked low.

"Hello?" Grey called into the house.

"Who's there?" came a crotchety voice. A shuffling and thud came from the other side of the house.

Grey stepped inside, Halcen following, to see an old man come in from another room off to the side. He was a bit shorter than Halcen, with dark tan skin, a bald head, and a thick grey beard. He was rather frail looking, leaning on a cane.

Grey smiled. "Barry."

"Who's that? Who's there?" the man asked.

"Barry, it's me! You remember me, right?"

The man got close to the intruders in his home. The light caught his eyes, even in the darkly lit room.

"Grey," Halcen whispered. "He's blind."

Grey's chest caught.

"I don't know who you are, thinking you can just barge into my house like this, but you better have a real good excuse, or I'm gonna bash you with this cane!"

"Barry, it's me, Grey."

The old man's face dropped. You could see the immediate change in his behavior. "Grey? Is that… really you?" The man reached out his hands and touched his friend's chest. He moved upward to feel the man's face. "Oh, my god. You're so old."

Grey began laughing. "You should see _your_ face. You look like a rotting pinecone!"

"You never were good at the smack talk," Barry laughed.

Grey chuckled. "I guess not."

"So tell me, what are you doing here? You're not gonna tell me the kid's mine are you? He don't even look like me."

Halcen sighed and hung his head.

"No, nothing like that."

"Good."

"Wha-" Grey sighed, "what happened?"

"What? This?" Barry motioned to his eyes. "That's just what happens when you start thinking you're invincible. I never used goggles when I was smithing. After a couple decades, something was bound to happen."

Grey motioned to Halcen. "He was the blacksmith on our crew."

Halcen nodded. "He was a Roger Pirate too? Damn."

"So," Grey said to Barry, "I was hoping you might have some info."

"Are you _still_ in the business? Come on, man. Isn't it time we old fucks hung up our flags and let the young kids take over?"

"Well... that's part of why I'm here. The kid is my new Captain."

"You're taking orders from a greenhorn? I mean, I knew you were impulsive, but isn't that a little much, even for you?"

"No. Halcen's going to do great things. I'm sure of it."

"So what do you need? I don't know if you noticed, but I'm not really in the condition to do any metal work anymore."

"We're looking for Shanks."

"Oh?"

"We heard he was here a few weeks ago."

"Yeah, they made a big fuss out of it. He waltzed right up to the gallows in the middle of a huge crowd. That man has no fear. He was such a cute kid, remember? Now he's some big shot. Talk about Mr. Big-Britches."

Grey chuckled. "Yeah, I guess was a cute kid. But now he carries a lot of weight."

"But why does that involve me?"

"Come on, Barry. We know he wouldn't have come to Loguetown without looking you up."

"Yeah, he came by."

"And?"

"I don't know if you should be telling you."

"Why? What happened?"

"Well, for one, you're too old to be doing this to yourself. You need to get out before you're taken out. And second, I don't know this kid. He could be dangerous."

That's when Halcen took over. "You're right. I am dangerous. But not to you. Not to Grey. Grey helped watch over me while we were part of Whitebeard's crew. I have since decided to start my own crew. And I need Shanks' help. He's a powerful, respected pirate. I just want to talk to him. I promise I have no ill intentions."

"Your sweet words fall on deaf ears, son," Barry said.

"DAMMIT BARTHOLOMEW!" Grey shouted. "TELL ME WHAT HE WANTED!"

"Don't try that shit on me, Grey! It didn't work on me then, it won't know!"

Grey swallowed. "I'm sorry. But we… _need_ to find Shanks."

"I'm trying to help you!" Barry shouted. "You're my friend! I don't want to see you end up like Roger."

"If I do, that'd be my own fault, not yours. I've made this my life. And I'm gonna keep going until I'm done. That's it."

"Why is this so important? What do you need his help with?"

"I'm going to take on Whitebeard," Halcen stated from the back.

Grey closed his eyes and grimaced. _He should not have said that._

Barry gulped. "You're insane."

"Whitebeard betrayed me. I need Shanks' help getting an upper hand over him."

"Why? Why would someone like you want to throw their life away, trying to fight the most powerful pirate in the world?"

"Let me ask you a question," Halcen said.

"Go for it."

"When you started out, when you joined Roger's crew… did you think he was going to become 'King of the Pirates?'"

"Of course not. We never thought of such lofty goals. We were just kids."

"But it happened. You became the most powerful crew in the world. You're legendary warriors. How did that happen?"

"Dedication, perseverance, will. We went through a lot."

"Then when you think about me trying to reach that goal, why does it seem so impossible? I'm just a kid, like you were. But I already know what I want. So why can it only happen for you, and not me?"

Barry gulped. "I suppose…"

"It's not helpful to sit here and belittle us. We know what we're doing. The only person you're doing any favors with your besmirching is yourself."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"I'll tell you where he went."

"Thank you, Barry," Grey said.

"Just pay me back by not dying, okay? I don't wanna hear about one of my best friend's dying again."

"I'll do what I can."

"So what did he want? Shanks?" Halcen asked.

"He came to Loguetown specifically to see me."

"Why?"

"He needed info from one of the first of us. Those of us that left with Roger from Loguetown. He wanted to know about the Poneglyphs."

"The Poneglyphs?" Halcen gasped.

"Why?" Grey asked.

"He said he knows what the One Piece is, or he's got in figured out or some such nonsense. He's trying to find his way to Raftel."

"Shanks is after the One Piece?" Halcen asked.

"I don't know that he specifically wants it for himself, but he wants to find it. You can never tell with that boy."

"Yeah, he's always been a bit mysterious," Grey said.

"So what did you tell him?" Halcen asked.

"I told him about the one in the East Blue. Figured he should check out that one first. I never really understood the Poneglyphs, but I know they're important."

"There's a Poneglyph here? In the East Blue?"

"The things you wouldn't expect are what makes this world a fucking wonder," Barry spat. Then he turned to Grey. "You remember where it is?"

Halcen looked to Grey.

Grey nodded.

"Alright, so we have a heading?"

"We do."

"Then let's go."


	24. Not According To Plan

**AN: So I've had this chapter done for like a week, and I'm already working on the next one lol.**

 **I decided to post it today because today, August 31, is the anniversary of me posting my first chapter "Disgraced." It's been a long and crazy year. I cannot believe that it HAS been a year. So much has gone down in both this fic and my real life. Think about it, it's only been a couple weeks in Halcen's time. But yeah... This fic has definitely helped me in a lot of ways. And you guys who have followed, commented, and overall supported me in this endeavor: I love you guys. Thank you all so much!**

 **Now this chapter isn't necessarily special in any way. It does have some pretty intense and kinda crazy things happen, but nothing more than was already planned. Hope you guys enjoy it. I worked hard to make sure it was magnificent. :)**

 **And as always, I do not own One Piece, but if we all pool our resources, I think we have a good shot at taking Oda out. ;)**

* * *

Not According To Plan

Halcen and Grey finally made it back to the docks later that day. Their journey across Loguetown has taken some time and the sun was already setting. Once they reached the Black Tail, they were greeted by Jory, Morkine, and Shira. Jin and Fein had not made it back yet.

"Do you know where they are?" Halcen asked. "Have they checked in at all?"

Jory just shook his head.

"They have not returned," Morkine said.

Shira whined.

"Well, what the hell is going on?" Halcen was beginning to worry. He didn't think their task would take this long. "We need to get going."

"Do we have a heading?" Morkine inquired.

"We do. Shanks headed for another island in the East Blue."

"We should head out as soon as possible," Grey said. "Likely, he's already done there and is going to be leaving, or has already done so."

"We can't leave without them!" Jory shouted, getting worried.

"Of course not," Halcen replied. "That's not what we're saying. We're just in a rush and trying to get out of here quickly, and their holdup is very inconvenient."

Shira made a move with her nose. She began sniffing the air.

"What is it, girl?" Halcen asked.

Shira rushed off the ship and onto the docks, barking in joy.

The rest of them looked out over the docks to see Fein, running his hardest, towards them.

"What the fuck?" Halcen said under his breath. _This can't be good. Where's Jin?_

Shira caught up with Fein and began to dance around him.

"Calm down, Shira! This isn't the time!"

She whined and backed off, letting Fein pass her.

Fein kept running until he reached the ship. His white hair was a mess and he was sweating pretty badly. He had something in his hand. It was stack of papers. "Bad news!" he shouted.

"First thing: where's Jin?" Halcen demanded.

Fein looked back. "Oh, he… he's back there." He was out of breath. "He'll catch up." He heaved. "We had to separate. I had to get this to you ASAP. I'm faster than he is."

"But he's okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, he'll be here in a minute. LOOK!" He waved the papers in their faces. "You guys have bounties!"

Halcen sighed. "Really? That's what's so important?! We've had bounties for a while."

"No, they're recent."

"Yeah, Grey and I got new bounties when we left Whitebeard. That's why the Marines sent snipers to have us taken out."

"Not just you two!"

"What?" Halcen grabbed the papers. He took a minute to look at each of them.

Avarik "Carbon Carnivore" Halcen: Wanted Dead or Alive. 75,000,000 Beri.

Axcel D. "Saint" Grey: Wanted Dead or Alive. 115,000,000 Beri.

"My bounty didn't even increase," Grey said in surprise.

"No, but they got a new picture of you. Look."

Grey's bounty did indeed have a recent picture. Up until then, they had been using an old picture of him from back in his Roger Pirate days. For years, he had been out of sight. Now, they had actually laid eyes on him.

"This is bad."

"Mine went up a lot," Halcen said.

"This is probably from when the Marines set us up. I didn't do as much as you. You told Reluji it was your crew. You fought him pretty hard and scared him off."

"I even got an epithet." Halcen had to admit, he liked it. He was brimming with pride. "Carbon Carnivore."

"Carnivore?" Jory laughed. "More like candy whore."

Everyone started chuckling, except Fein.

"Those aren't the ones you need to be worried about," Fein said. "Keep flipping."

Halcen thumbed through the stack and found the problem. There were two more bounties.

Ureha "Raining Steel" Kazuki. Wanted Dead or Alive. 20,000,000 Beri.

Yusha "Death's Trigger" Bosopp. Wanted Dead Or Alive. 15,000,000 Beri.

"Fuck," Halcen said.

"This isn't good," Grey noted.

"Your friends seem to have gotten themselves the short end of the stick," Morkine said.

"What do we do?" Fein asked.

"What are we supposed to do?" Halcen said. "We have shit to take care of. We can't just drop what we're doing. We don't even know if this is going to stick."

"Didn't they save your ass?"

"Yes, but we saved theirs first."

"So we're just gonna leave them?" Jory asked. "To die?"

"We don't know that they're going to die, Jory. Don't be overdramatic."

"Halcen," Grey shouted.

Halcen grunted and pulled a chocolate bar out of his jacket pocket. It was already partially eaten so finished off what was left. He could feel the sugar immediately kick in. _Fucking good._

"What are you doing?"

"I'm stressed! Leave me alone!" Halcen said with chocolate shoved in his mouth.

Grey shook his head.

Halcen finished and gulped. "What do you want from me, Grey? Why do I always have to play the hero? I'm a pirate! They're _Marines_! They're grown men. They made their own decisions. They joined the Marines. They decided to go back even after they were betrayed. It's not my fault, not my business. We have other business to attend to."

"They basically just turned themselves in for being pirates. They're wanted men! There's no coming back from that and you damn well know it! Are you really okay with that? Either they die, or spend their remaining days in prison!"

"Kazuki's a smart guy. He can work something out."

"There's no talking their way out of this one. Why are you being so stubborn!?"

"Because Shanks is out there! We actually know where he is for once! I'm tired of playing catch up! We have him in our sights! We need to catch him before he slips away!"

"Is that really your argument? You're too hellbent on getting revenge that everything else goes to the wayside and fuck anybody who gets hurt in the process?"

"It's not _my_ fault if they get hurt!"

"It doesn't matter whose fault it is! What matters is that you have the ability to _do_ something about it, and you're choosing not to!"

"Damn right I'm choosing not to. I set out on a mission. To find Shanks. That's been the plan this whole time. I need his help, dammit! And yeah, if Bo and Kazuki get hurt because I chose not to act, then I can live with that!"

"Do you know who you sound like right now?"

"Don't you fucking dare!"

"Halcen, you need to get the fuck over this revenge mission. It's a lost cause! You're only gonna get _more_ hurt if you keep this up!"

"I HAVE NOTHING ELSE, GREY! What else do you suggest I do? Go play nice with the other pirates? Go back home to sit and rot for an eternity?! My name has been stained because of that prick! And I have nowhere else to go! No one else to help! This is about pride!"

"Pride? You wanna talk to me about pride? Are you proud that you're abandoning your friends? Are you proud that you can let others get hurt and not feel a thing?! Are you proud that you're letting your emotions control you?! Are you proud that you're letting the Marines get away with this tragedy? The same exact tragedy, might I remind you, that you yourself just went through! Bo and Kazuki were innocent, betrayed, and cast out! Sound familiar? You would think that you would revel at the opportunity to make this right!"

Halcen seethed.

"Listen," Grey said, calming down. "If we let Shanks get away, we can catch up to him again. I know the order of the Poneglyphs. Even if it takes us into the Grand Line, we can still find him. And yeah, it'll probably take longer this way. But at least we wouldn't forego our souls for it. Are you really in so much of a rush to get back at Whitebeard that you'll let your friends die for it?"

Halcen sighed.

"Come on, Halcen. I can't let this go. I can't go on without at least trying. I would have hoped the same would be true for you."

"...Alright."

"Damn it, Hal- wait... what?"

"You're right." Halcen walked across the deck of the Black Tail and stared out over the island of Loguetown. "We can't just leave them here. They've been betrayed and branded as pirates. I understand their situation. And when I was down and out, you were there to believe in me. I need to be that person for them. I just… I'm so angry. I can't see past it sometimes. But Bo and Kazuki are good men, and great warriors. We can't leave this alone." He turned back to look at the rest of the crew. "We'll go save our crewmates. Besides, it's not like a pirate to pass up giving the Marines trouble."

* * *

Bo and Kazuki were shoved inside an office, with their hands in cuffs behind their backs. The door swung open and the two fell of their knees. It was a rather large room for a Marine office. Before them was a large desk, with a man sitting patiently behind it.

His black hair was in a bowl-cut that connected to lightning bolt-shaped sideburns. He was wearing thin sunglasses with gold frames, even inside. He had a very strong face and thin nose. He was still relatively young, early 30's.

"Cap-Captain Vergo," Kazuki stuttered.

"Shit," Bo cursed under his breath.

Vergo waved off the men that had ushered the two snipers into his office. "You may leave," he said in a very low voice. The sound left chills in the air.

The crowd of Marines that had gathered looked about. They had been hoping to be immediately rewarded.

"I said _leave_ ," the Captain commanded.

They all looked to attention, then quickly dismissed themselves. Vergo held true authority.

"Captain, please!" Kazuki shouted.

"Silence, Chief Petty Officer Ureha. I'll get to you in just a moment." Vergo's eyes returned to his desk where he appeared to be in the middle of his lunch. He had chopsticks and was shoveling ramen into his mouth. They watched in silence as he accidently got a stray noodle stuck to his left sideburn. When he was finished, he sighed in delight. Then he turned his face back to the intruders on his meal time.

"Now, where were we?" he asked the two Marines.

Captain Vergo picked up some papers from his desk, then stood up. He wasn't particularly tall; just over six feet. Taller than them for sure, but he was still shorter than Grey. In spite of that, he was ridiculously buff, and his uniform pulled far too tight on him. He was not fond of the formalities of military wear. He took slow, deliberate steps. He stopped before them, and stood still. He pulled the papers up to his face and began reading them off.

"Ureha 'Raining Steel' Kazuki. Twenty million beri."

Kazuki stuttered. "Wh-what?"

Vergo continued. "Yusha 'Death's Trigger' Bosopp. Fifteen million beri."

"What?" Bo's face contorted.

"Your bounties," Vergo stated simply. He took the papers and flashed them in front of the snipers, who were still bent down on their knees.

"What the hell?!" Bo shouted.

Kazuki's face held only a horrified expression.

"Kazuki?" Bo said.

"Yeah?"

"Why's your bounty bigger than mine?"

Kazuki closed his eyes in shock. "Is this really the time for that?"

Vergo chuckled. "It seems Kazuki's intellect made him appear to be the brains behind the operation."

Kazuki's body shook, but he needed to say something. "Sir, I don't know what Commodore Reluji told Headquarters, but I'm sure it's all just a misunderstanding."

"Are you calling Rear Admiral Reluji a liar?" he asked.

"Rear Admiral?" Kazuki gasped.

"That bastard got promoted?!" Bo shouted.

"Indeed. He has been promoted for weeding out traitors."

"Sir?" Kazuki said.

"Traitors?" Bo asked.

"I was surprised that you would betray us, Chief Petty Officer Ureha. You were such a good soldier."

"I did no such thing, Captain. I swear!"

"We didn't do anything!" Bo shouted.

" _You,_ I was less surprised about, Petty Officer Yusha. You have always had an explosive attitude. It was only time before you snapped. Though your family was quite convinced you were one of the good ones. They were distraught to hear about you turning pirate."

"My family?" Bo seethed. "What did you do to them?! What did you do to my wife and son?!"

"We had to take some precautions, of course. I had them locked up for consorting with a pirate."

"They're innocent! _We're_ innocent! We don't deserve this shit! You better not have harmed them, or I swear to God!"

"I can't very well take your word for it, can I? Given your family history, I was surprised you were allowed to join the Marines at all."

"I have nothing to do with that scum!" Bo shouted. "I'm a good Marine. I've never done shit to anyone that didn't deserve it! I follow my orders like everyone else! We were betrayed! Reluji ditched us on that island."

"It is not your place to question the decisions of your commanding officers," Vergo said plainly. "It is most fortuitous that you decided to attempt this attack on base _before_ the inspection. Now I can ensure you are both out of the way for the welcoming of the HQ representatives."

"Inspection?" Kazuki asked, confused.

"Yes, HQ decided upon a surprise inspection. There will be a few upper rank officials coming in in a few days. You two will not be out to muck it up. You will be Court-martialed. You will be given a trial and you will have the chance to tell your story there."

"You gotta be kidding! You know these courts are rigged! We don't stand a chance in hell in getting out of there alive!" Bo raged.

"We're screwed," Kazuki sighed.

"If that is the decision of the court, it is not my place to question it," Vergo said.

"So you'll send us to our deaths, with no remorse?" Bo spat. "Is this really the Marine you wanna be? Is this really the system you wish to serve?"

"I'll have you taken to your cells."

"Fuck you, Vergo!" Bo spat.

* * *

Jin finally made it back.

Halcen had a hard time not laughing as the chubby boy ran across the docks to their ship. He was heaving pretty badly.

"Took you long enough," Halcen said.

"Sorry," Jin panted. "What'd I miss?"

"A pretty heated argument, a moving speech, and a great plan."

Jin nodded. "Cool. So we're gonna save Bo and Kazuki?"

"Yeah, but we're gonna need a distraction."

"Okay," Jin heaved. "But first, I'm gonna need some tea."

* * *

"Bo," Kazuki said quietly.

"WHAT?!" he growled.

"Apple Tree."

Bo sat in quiet for a moment, his face open, staring, dumbfounded. "Are you sure?"

Kazuki whispered. "There's only one."

"What are you two concocting? Whatever you're thinking about doing, I would recommend for your own safety, you don't."

"Sorry, Captain," Kazuki said, looking up into Vergo's eyes.

"What are you planning?"

Kazuki suddenly jumped up, both hands free of the shackles. His body sprung onto Vergo's torso. Kazuki wrapped his left arm under and around Vergo's right arm, his right arm around Vergo's throat, and his legs around Vergo's waist. "BO NOW!"

Bo stood up, his arms not yet unbound. He charged forward and kicked his right leg at Vergo's left, trying to trip the tall man.

Vergo was ready for that one. His entire left leg turned black with Haki. The Haki sustained the blow and kept Vergo stable.

"Dammit!" Bo shouted.

Vergo transferred the Haki to his left arm. He used it to grab Kazuki by his collar, and then yanked him from his grip and flung him across the room. Kazuki sprawled into a bookcase against the wall, smashing it to pieces.

"Do you really want to continue this battle?" Vergo said, confidently. "Think carefully about your next move. You can either spend your remaining days in prison or I can kill you both now!"

"Or…," Kazuki said, "getting himself up from the rubble, "We can take you down, and escape!"

"Do you really think that you two can take me down?" Vergo said. He moved his Haki from his left to his right arm, then swung it at Bo's head.

Unable to block, with his hands still in cuffs, Bo was just barely able to dodge in time. He pulled back just as Vergo's arm passed by. "I think so!" Bo shouted. He then kicked his right leg toward Vergo's stomach.

But Vergo had moved his Haki to his abs.

Bo's leg hit stone body.

"I'm not so sure about that," Vergo said, stalwart.

"BO! Pull back!" Kazuki said.

Bo jumped back to stand next to Kazuki. "Are you sure we can keep this up? Turns out Cap is as tough as Halcen."

"Not quite," Kazuki said.

"Halcen?" Vergo asked. "You mean the captain of the Chaos Pirates? I knew it. You really are in league with them."

"Oh, shut up!" Kazuki said.

Vergo was getting annoyed.

Kazuki resumed talking. "He's strong for sure. But his Haki only covers one portion at a time. It doesn't help if he can't cover all his vitals at once."

"Got it!" Bo said.

And then Vergo was on them. He bull-rushed the both of them, two massive black arms swinging at them.

The two snipers found themselves strong-armed into the nearest wall. They went toppling over with the weight of Vergo's full force.

"I was only using one at a time because that was all that was required. Why bother using full strength when only half will suffice?"

Kazuki trembled in anger. _We can't keep this up. Captain Vergo will demolish us. I guess…this is what it means to be an Officer in the Marines. He can take on two seasoned snipers with little effort. We need to get out of here… or he'll kill us._

Vergo stood, emotionless, staring down at the two ensigns he had helped train. "You two have gravely disappointed me," he said, coldly.

Kazuki's face twitched. "I honestly don't give a damn."

Vergo took offense to the snide comment and swung his Haki-coated foot into Kazuki's stomach.

Kazuki yelped in pain and rolled on the floor, clutching his stomach. He was losing this fight, badly.

Bo was ready to go, but couldn't do anything alone. "Kazuki, what are we doing?"

Kazuki ground his teeth, and pushed himself back up on his feet. "We already started. There's no going back! We fight or we die!"

Vergo chuckled. "You think this is admirable? Do you think your sacrifice will be mourned? You have disgraced yourselves, the Marines, and your families. There is no one in this world who you can run to. There is no one to save you."

"You're right," Kazuki said, plainly. "We're wanted men now. There's no coming back from that. That's why we have to fight, to save our own selves!"

Bo smiled.

"I'll go high, you go low," Kazuki said low to Bo.

"Gotcha."

Kazuki flung himself off the ground, launching his body in the air with his right leg swinging toward Vergo's head. His body remained in the air for a few moments, until his leg came into contact with Vergo's face.

As Kazuki expected, Vergo had moved his Haki to protect his head, his most vital area. It needed more protection than anywhere else.

At the same moment, Bo struck his left leg to Vergo's side, which Vergo was able to also block with his Haki.

Kazuki was already back on the ground and then he swung his left leg at Vergo's left leg.

Vergo didn't have enough Haki to move that quickly, and he took the hit, knocking him down to his knee.

This is where Bo launched a massive right kick with the bottom of his foot at Vergo's right leg, knocking him down to both of his knees.

Vergo roared in annoyance and pain.

"NOW!" Kazuki shouted.

At the same time, both warriors thrust all their might into a single simultaneous kick to Vergo's chest.

Vergo was able to use his Haki to stop the majority of the damage, but the force of the kick still threw him back across the room. His body landed near his desk.

Bo laughed. "It worked!" They were finally getting a hand over Vergo.

"Don't be so smug," Vergo said, staggering to stand up. "That was always your downfall, Yusha. You let your emotions control you."

"Better than being a heartless robot," Bo said back. "Always following orders, never the freedom to make the right choice. Never the freedom to follow your heart. Maybe I did make a mistake joining the Marines. I thought so badly that this was what I wanted, because I never got along with my brother. But maybe he was onto something after all."

"Your brother is a piss-poor excuse for a sniper. He could have used that talent for the good of this world. And look what he's become!"

"Bo," Kazuki said, "Don't let him get you sucked in. He's trying to play you."

"And you," Vergo moved to Kazuki, "of all people, I thought you would understand the most."

"Enough of your prattling!" Kazuki looked to Bo. "Let's end this, now."

Bo nodded.

Kazuki rushed forward, leading Bo to do the same. Kazuki stayed on the right side and Bo stayed to the left.

Vergo came swinging his left arm at Kazuki.

Kazuki was able to dodge the blow, but grabbed onto Vergo's wrist and latched one side of the handcuffs he had picked earlier and locked it. He had hidden them in his pocket, just in case.

"What the hell!?" Vergo shouted. He yanked on his arm, trying to gain more strength by pushing Haki through it, but Kazuki kept a tight grip. Vergo tried to use his right arm to grab the man.

"Bo!"

Bo jumped up and flung his feet as one into Vergo's right shoulder, knocking him back and against his solid desk.

Kazuki took the moment to grab Vergo's right arm as well and cuffed both arms together.

Vergo struggled to get free, but his arms were bound to his desk. Kazuki had run the cuffs through a small hole on the back. "What do you think you're doing?!" Vergo raged.

"I think we just won," Kazuki laughed. He didn't have time to waste. He ran to Bo and began picking the lock that bound him in cuffs too.

"So you couldn't beat me in a fair fight, so you had to cheat, huh?" Vergo laughed.

Bo laughed. "I wouldn't put it that way, but if it helps you sleep at night, sure."

"Don't be mad at me cause I was able to outsmart you," Kazuki said. "For an officer, you would think you would have been a little more cognizant."

"Do you really think you'll get away with this?"

"I think… that it's no longer any of your concern," Kazuki said.

Then the cuffs were undone and Kazuki tossed them aside.

"Alright, let's go!" Bo shouted in glee.

They began for the door.

"Don't you think this is over!" Vergo shouted.

Then Bo said, "Sir, with all due respect, shut the hell up!"

And then the two of them headed out the door.

"Where do you think they took our stuff?" Bo asked. "We can't very well leave unarmed."

They could hear Vergo shouting and grunting still in his office as they began to move through the base.

"That guy doesn't stop."

And as they ran, they were almost immediately met by another foe. The dark of the night made him hard to make out at first. But they got close enough to see him, and they halted.

The man was about their height, slightly taller than Bo. He had short white hair, semi tan skin, a large brow and a thick chin. He wasn't wearing a shirt so you could see his bulky muscles. He was wearing standard issue Marine blue pants and brown boots. And there in his mouth, he was carrying a lit cigar.

"Lieutenant Smoker," Kazuki gasped.

And suddenly there was a bang behind them. They turned to see Vergo had broken through his cuffs and broke down his own door in a rage, and was now stalking towards them, with two black arms.

"Fuck," Bo swore. "Now what?"

Kazuki gulped.


	25. Frantic Frenzy

**AN: This took longer than I wanted to get out. I got a new job, so I'm in transition. I've been at the same place for a year and a half and I just... couldn't take it anymore. I found somewhere I feel like will be good for me. :)**

 **So my stuff might take me a bit longer to put out again... But I am working on the next chapter already. Hope you guys are enjoying the story.**

* * *

Frantic Frenzy

The two snipers were staring down the end of a barrel. Not physically, but metaphorically. They were trapped between a rock and a hard place. Again, not in reality. But their situation definitely felt akin to that sort of metaphor. It was as if all these random idioms suddenly made sense, and they could relate.

Bo held his back to Kazuki's, staring down Captain Vergo of the Marines. Kazuki stood facing Lieutenant Smoker, freshly appointed to his new station. Neither of them seemed in a forgiving mood. There were lines that one did not cross, under suspicion or not; Marines didn't turn on their commanding officers.

"What is going on here?" Lieutenant Smoker asked in a deep, rough voice. He looked to Vergo, who seemed to be a bit roughed up.

"They made an attempt on my life, Lieutenant," Vergo said calmly.

"Why would you two do such a thing?" Smoker asked, appalled. They had done some work with Smoker. He had not directly overseen their missions as Vergo or Reluji had, but he had still gained some familiarity with the two. So to him, this was very far out of left field.

"I was holding them for questioning. You heard Rear Admiral Reluji's reports," Vergo said. "I was about to send them to the cells for the night, then have them processed in the morning, where they would be tried for their crimes."

"Please, Lieutenant," Kazuki pleaded. "You have to understand. We were set up!"

Lieutenant Smoker stood, unmoving and seemingly unconvinced. "What I understand," he said, looking back at Captain Vergo, "is that you attacked a superior officer during an interrogation. What else is there for me to understand?"

"DAMMIT! LISTEN TO US!" Bo shouted in rage.

"They're going to kill us!" Kazuki said on top of Bo's exclamation.

"You're traitors to the Marines. You turned pirate. Why would I listen? And why would that matter to me if you _were_ going to be executed? This is the land where the Pirate King himself was executed. If you're to die, shouldn't it be a pirate's honor to die here?"

Vergo nodded. "Right you are, Lieutenant. Now help me round them up. I'll commend your assistance to the upper brass first thing in the morning. I'll see to it you get those points toward your next promotion."

"Thank you, sir."

Kazuki's face twitched. His body shook. He couldn't handle it anymore. "This is what it means to be a Marine," he said lowly so that only Bo could hear him. "To accept every word without question. To be thoughtless. To be a murderer."

"Kazuki," Bo said lowly, "we have to get out of here. My family's waiting for me. I can't leave them to rot in some dungeon."

"I'm sorry, friend. It looks like this is where our path ends. We don't have any other outs."

Bo gulped. "Well then, at least we'll go out swinging."

The two readied themselves for the fight. They had already undergone one unfathomably trying ordeal going up against Vergo just now. They were exhausted.

 _ **BANG!**_

Everyone looked back toward the entrance of the base, where they heard what sounded like bombs going off.

"What the hell is going on?" Smoker asked out loud.

Kazuki thought to take advantage of the Lieutenant's distraction. He pulled on Bo's arm to alert him, and then tried to rush past Smoker on the left side while he was staring off across the base.

Smoker jolted himself back to attention and threw himself in front of Kazuki. He drew a long black steel baton from his back and held it out at arm's length.

Bo stopped suddenly behind Kazuki. "Fuck. There's no way out."

"Don't think escaping will be that easy," Smoker said.

"Good job, Lieutenant," Vergo commented. "Now let's secure the prisoners. We need to get them back in cuffs!"

Smoker held his attention on the snipers in front of him. "Alright, let's go!"

Captain Vergo and Lieutenant Smoker rallied together to herd Bo and Kazuki from getting away. Vergo clasped onto Bo and Smoker grabbed Kazuki by the arms.

Bo tried to struggle free from Vergo as he latched on. "Dammit, let me go!" he shouted. He tried to throw an elbow into Vergo's face, but Vergo already had a solid hold on him.

Vergo squeezed Bo's arms tightly together, making him groan in pain, and then returned the cuffs to Bo's wrists, keeping his arms locked again.

Smoker did the same with Kazuki, forcing him to wear the metal bracelets on his wrists like some common criminal. But Smoker kept a keen eye to ensure Kazuki didn't have the opportunity to pick these ones.

Bo swore furiously as he was forced to walk out of the corridor and out into the streets of the base.

They began to head toward the jails when they heard it again.

 _ **BANG!**_

 _What is that…?_ Kazuki asked himself. _It couldn't be… could it? No,_ he shook his head and continued walking.

"Captain, I think something's going on," Smoker said.

"If it is, the rest of the Marines can take care of it. We're not the only ones here. The others know what they're doing. We have our own task to take care of."

They continued on for a few minutes. They had to walk toward the noise to get through to where the jail was on base. They turned down one of the main streets to find one of the building sides had been blown to pieces, and was now blocking the street.

Vergo took a look around to see some Marines in the area. He went to them, while still holding tight onto Bo. "What is going on here, Marines?" he asked.

"Captain! Lieutenant!"

The troops rallied in formation and saluted. There were apparently no officers in charge of the situation.

"There have been attacks around the base."

"We haven't found the culprits yet."

"We believe it might be bombs being set off remotely."

Vergo listened to their reports. "Stay in the area just in case something happens. Keep on your guard and alert us if anything arises. We need to get these pirates to their cells, immediately. We'll come back to check on the situation once we've finished."

"Yes, sir!"

The officers turned away from the debris and set up conversing to the side.

"We need to get around this rubble," Vergo said.

Smoker took a look about. "What about through here?" he said, pointing toward an alleyway.

Vergo came upon it and checked out the alley. It was just behind one of the larger buildings that would take an extra half hour to walk around and would leave them out in the open in a square. The alley was protected on the side because it had a wall running along its side. "This should work. Let's go."

And then Kazuki saw it. He nudged Bo and gave a quick head nod in the direction of an alley. Nobody else would have been able to see it. To the untrained eye, it would have just blended into the darkness of the night. But to their honed sniper's eyes… they could see it.

Bo nodded.

Then, as the Marine officers pulled the snipers into the alley, they suddenly went into a frenzy. Bo and Kazuki began wriggling and writhing their way out of the officers' grasps.

"CALM DOWN!" Lieutenant Smoker shouted.

"What's gotten into you this time?" Vergo commented. "You can't win this fight. You could barely handle just me with both of you. You're not going to be able to take us both on now, with just yourselves."

"Heh," ughed.

"You're right there, _Captain_ ," Kazuki said with vehemence. "With just _ourselves_ , we can't take you on."

And then a fell swoop came down from the building roof above them, and a man dropped down on the one side where Vergo stood, blocking the way to the alley. He stood up tall, taller than Vergo, and stared down at them.

"What the hell is going on?!" Vergo demanded.

"Captain!" Smoker shouted.

Vergo turned away from his new opponent for just a moment to see that another had blocked their way, behind Smoker. He was standing practically still and coated in the blackness of the night, so Vergo could not make out their features. Now they were blocked on both sides, with traitors in their arms and enemies holding their path.

"What do we do, sir?" Smoker asked.

Vergo didn't have time to think up a plan. Before he knew it, Bo had broken out of his grasp. And Kazuki had wrangled himself out of Smoker's. The snipers each took turns throwing a kick at their oppressors, knocking them back, and then they ducked down out of the fray.

The tall man swung a fast left hook across Vergo's face, knocking him into the wall of the alley. And the shorter man on Smoker's side threw an uppercut into Smoker's stomach, making the Lieutenant reel.

And then the four of them ran off.

"You guys came back for us!" Kazuki said, running his hardest to keep up with Halcen and Grey.

"Talk later," Halcen said. "We gotta get outta here!"

And they kept running their way through the Marine base towards their escape.

Behind them, Vergo and Smoker had taken off after them. They had taken a hit, but it wasn't enough to keep Marine Officers from pursuing their convicts. And they were fast.

"Stop!" Vergo demanded.

"Why are we always running?" Smoker said.

"We gotta get out of here before they catch up!" Halcen shouted.

"We'll take a detour!" Kazuki said. "I know another way out!"

"Can't! We gotta hit the checkpoint!"

"Checkpoint?" Bo asked. "Aren't we just trying to escape?"

"Do you really think I'd break into a Marine base without a plan?" Halcen laughed.

And they kept running. Halcen looked back to see the dark-haired man was the faster of the two, and was catching up quick.

 _If we don't do something quick, he's gonna catch up,_ Halcen thought to himself.

The Marine Officer presented a problem.

"WE GOTTA PICK UP THE PACE!" Halcen shouted. "We don't have time to stand around and fight these guys! We gotta hit that checkpoint!"

Everybody else kicked it into overdrive. Kazuki was having a hard time keeping up as it was, but he dug deep and sprinted even harder, desperate to keep up. Pain began shooting through him, but he grunted and pushed through it. His body wasn't meant for this. He was not a distance runner. But he wasn't going to let himself get caught and throw Halcen's plan into ruin.

After a little ways, they saw it. They were only about halfway through the Marine base. There were two massive stone columns to the sides of each other, attached to a giant archway overhead. It was set tightly between two different buildings. They could make out the structure in the moonlight.

"Alright, here we go!" Halcen shouted.

"What's going on?" Kazuki asked.

"Just don't slow down!" Halcen shouted.

Vergo was still on their tail. He was still a ways back, but he was gaining. Smoker was behind them too, but only able to maintain ground. There was something to be said about the difference in their power. Smoker was an officer too, but Vergo was just that much superior.

In response to the pirates picking up the pace, Vergo did the same. He began sprinting as hard as he could to catch up to the fleeing criminals. He began catching up even quicker.

Halcen looked back at the man and saw that the man persisted to gain on them. Halcen grimaced. _This guy just doesn't quit._ He looked forward toward the arches. They were still too far off from the columns. The Marine was going to catch them. _I gotta do something about this guy._ Without stopping or slowing down, he shouted "Grey!"

Grey looked at Halcen.

Halcen motioned his head toward their pursuer. "Arms!"

Grey nodded.

Halcen jumped forward as Grey ran even faster. Grey stopped hard, his legs and feet dug down hard into the ground and he slowed to a stop, dust billowing as the snipers kept running. Halcen raised his legs upward as Grey lined up his outstretched arms for Halcen's feet. The tall man took the brunt of the force from Halcen's body and flung all his might into shooting Halcen the opposite direction.

Halcen loaded his legs with black Haki and came rocketing at the pursuing Marine.

Vergo's chest coated with Haki the same time that Halcen's legs came in and bashed into him. Vergo had been running full speed, but wasn't able to stop in time to dodge or fully prepare for the blow. His torso took Halcen's wicked legs with full force, and he groaned.

Halcen's body carried with momentum as they collided. He dug his feet into the Haki-coated chest, then thrust with all his might to throw Vergo off his feet. Halcen's body ping-ponged back off Vergo's body and sailed back toward Grey.

They watched Vergo go flying toward the opposite building. Vergo was able to move his Haki to his back as his body smashed through the stone side of the nearest building. Wood and concrete rained around him as he crumpled to the ground.

Halcen landed on the ground in a hard thud and began rolling, dust blooming. He quickly got back up to take a glance at their pursuers. The white-haired Marine had stopped to ensure his superior was okay. He was going to take a few extra moments to get back up. That was all they needed.

Halcen turned back to their group, where Grey had already caught back up with snipers, and started running to catch back up. Once he was there, he gaffed. "He can use Haki too?"

"That's Captain Vergo. He's very proficient in Haki," Kazuki said, barely able to get it out.

"That's not good," Halcen said.

"How so?" Grey asked.

"If somebody else is that talented with Haki, I lose my edge."

Everyone else got quite. What bode ill for their Captain bode ill for them all. They all resumed their focus. They continued running until they actually hit the archway.

"Alright, here we go!" Halcen shouted as they rushed out.

And suddenly the whole area exploded with a smokescreen. Dark smoke enveloped a huge radius, covering them from sight, while also stagnating their own view. It was hard not to stumble and fall.

Kazuki coughed.

"What the hell?!" Bo shouted.

"Don't worry. It's part of the plan!" Halcen reassured them.

 _ **BANG!**_

Then suddenly, there was a big blast behind them where the archway was, and an erupting fire tore it apart with a big explosion and the stone collapsed.

"Fuck," Bo shouted with surprise.

This would cause a massive disturbance to keep the eyes off them, and Halcen could now safely lead them out of the Marine base, through Loguetown, and back to their ship.

Once they finally did arrive back at the Black Tail, they were able to stop running. They all sighed in relief as they all fell to the wood deck in heaving tiredness. Their bodies thrummed and pounded. They tried to catch their breaths. This was a very risky mission, but they managed to pull it off.

"Did everything go well, Captain?" Morkine asked.

Halcen looked up to see everyone else was accounted for: Fein, Jin, Shira, Jory. "Yes, it did, let's get out of here, now! Before they catch back up!"

"WAIT!" Bo shouted.

Everyone turned to see Bo, standing up and shaking.

"I can't leave."

"Why the fuck not? You guys are wanted criminals in the eyes of the World Government now! You can't go back to the Marines! We risked a lot to save you! What the fuck else could possibly be stopping you?!"

"My wife and son."

Halcen's face caught in distress. "What…?"

"They have my family, Halcen. The Marines took my family when word went out that we betrayed Reluji."

"Oh, fuck."

"I can't go without them. I can't. Not with them locked up in cages like common criminals!"

Halcen stood, silently listening.

"I'm sorry, but I can't go with you. I have to stay here and save them."

"And how are you going to do that?" Kazuki jumped in. "You don't even have any weapons!"

"I don't know… I'll figure it out," Bo said. He calmed down for a moment and look at Halcen. "Thank you for saving us, but I can't be around to return the favor." His face twitched.

Halcen looked Bo in the eyes. "You gotta be fucking kidding me."

Bo turned to start heading off the ship. "No. Unfortunately not."

Kazuki stepped in front of Bo to block his way. "YOU'LL DIE IF YOU GO AT THIS ALONE!"

Bo chuckled. "If you think dying for my family scares me," then he looked straight into Kazuki's eyes and his shone with doubtless intensity, "then you don't know me at all."

"That's not what I'm saying, damn it!" Kazuki shouted. "If you die, they stay imprisoned, regardless of your 'noble' sacrifice. Do you really think that helps them any?"

Bo gulped. "I have to at least try." Then he tried to take a step forward.

Kazuki refused to move. "At least let me help!"

"No!" Bo shouted. "You've already got enough on your plate." He looked back to Halcen. "Get outta Loguetown. You don't need this extra trouble. And you make sure Kazuki comeswith you. Don't let him follow me off this ship."

Halcen stared into Bo's eyes. _Fucking hell. It's just one thing after another with these two. I got what I came to Loguetown for. But now all this… shit… keeps happening._ Halcen nodded.

Bo turned to leave, but Kazuki got in his way again. "No way!"

Halcen spoke up. "He doesn't leave the ship."

Everyone looked to Halcen, who had just been standing there, watching and listening.

"You're not serious?" Jory asked. "Are we really just gonna let Bo go?"

"Halcen?" Grey said.

Halcen ignored them, and walked up toward where Bo and Kazuki were having their spat. "You're going to have to stay here." And then he grabbed tightly onto Bo's arm, and looked at the man dead in the eyes.

"Are you… trying to stop me?" Bo swiped his arm away.

"Don't be stupid, Bo. It doesn't have to be like this."

"Be like what? My family needs me! You guys need to get out of here! This isn't a fucking game!"

"Then why are you playing like it is!?" Halcen shouted.

"Excuse me?"

"You know damn well you can't do this alone! So why do you have to pretend like everything falls on your shoulders? Why are you trying to be a martyr? Why can't you use some common fucking sense?"

"Don't test me, Halcen."

"If you go out there, alone, what's gonna happen to your precious family, huh? They're gonna remain imprisoned for an eternity, or at least until the Marines feel like they're no longer useful and kill them."

"You don't know that's going to happen! They could let them go! If I die, they have no use for them anymore!"

"And when has the World Government ever been in the mercy business? Think about it. And even if they _do_ decide to let them go, _you're_ still dead, which means your wife is a widow and your child will grow up fatherless, burned and betrayed by the Marines. They'll have no way of getting back on their feet."

"Shut up," Bo growled, clutching his arm tightly.

"Your child will take to the street, begging, and your wife will be reduced to a common whore."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Bo swung his right arm at Halcen's head.

Halcen stepped to the left and caught Bo's arm with his own two, preventing him from moving.

Bo responded by clutching his left arm around Halcen's neck and pulling.

Halcen was able to use his Haki to prevent it from hurting, but he couldn't move. Bo had a tight grip.

This was where Fein and Grey stepped it. They both grabbed onto Bo and dragged him back, kicking and hollering.

"Let me go, damn you!"

But they were too strong.

"Hold him down," Halcen said, walking up to them.

Bo's eyes lit with raging fire. "I swear to God, Halcen."

"What? What are you going to do? Do you see how easily swayed and defeated you are. You can't move. It only takes these two to hold you. Imagine going up against a whole swarm of Marines yourself."

"Fuck you!"

"Listen," Halcen said lowly. "It's not my fault if these horrible things come to pass. You're the one that's making a shitty decision. But unfortunately for me, I can't just let you go and fuck all this up. Your family is only going to suffer, and I will not be held responsible for not stopping you. You need to think, man. I know that's not your specialty, but really give it a try." They he raised his eyebrows as he stared Bo in the eyes.

Bo seethed, but he seemed to be calming down a bit. He breathed deeply and stared at Halcen. "I really can't do this alone, can I?" he said, choking up.

Halcen just shook his head.

"Then what do I do?" Bo's voice broke between statements. "They're all I have left in this world. Everyone… _everything_ else has fallen apart. What do I do? I can't let this be the end of them."

"So what do you need to do?"

Bo looked earnestly into Halcen's eyes. "Please… help me."

Halcen just nodded. "Let's fucking go."


	26. Charred Bacon

**AN: So this chapter did take me a long time. I had to scrap it entirely at one point and start from scratch, and then I had to rewrite a bunch of shit a few different time. I had a lot of different ideas on how to play this out but I think I finally got it right. I did have a lot of help from my buddy Viryion getting it just right. He's also my editor and went and got himself sick for week, so that added to the time. XD Anyway... here's the chapter. Hope it's enjoyable to read, cause it was a fucking nightmare to write lol.**

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Charred Bacon

Halcen was pacing back and forth across the deck of the ship. He kept muttering to himself, would look up for a few moments and look around at his crew, then go back to pacing.

Bo and Kazuki stood nearby, leaning up against the mast of the Black Tail, watching and waiting patiently.

Finally, Halcen stopped his pacing and came back to the group to talk. His eyes were steeled, showing he was ready.

"So what's the plan?" Kazuki asked Halcen. Obviously, their Captain had some idea of what they needed to do. He always seemed to have an endless supply of ideas.

"Well, first we need to get you two some new guns. Can't have you defenseless if we're going to save Bo's family. This _is_ Loguetown. They ought to have anything an experienced sniper might need."

"Uhmmm…." Bo said, drawling.

"What's the problem?" Halcen walked to the side and crossed his arms.

"Here's the thing," Kazuki began. "We don't need new weapons… we need _our_ weapons."

Halcen looked back and forth between Kazuki and Bo. "You mean the ones that were confiscated from you when you were taken in?"

Bo just nodded.

Kazuki stared seriously.

"You're joking, right? There are dozens of gun shops in town. You can't possibly think they won't have something good."

"It's not an argument about good replacements or not. It's about the fact that they _can't_ be replaced. They're imprinted. It's like a part of our body. We're attached to them. We can't just pick up _any_ gun and use it efficiently."

"That's ridiculous," Halcen said.

"It's really not," Kazuki said, somewhat offended. "We were given these guns years ago. They were custom made for us, as snipers. We can't find better equipment just lying around, regardless of how much you're willing to spend. These are special."

"Seriously? You're going to get sentimental over _guns_?"

"Okay, think about this," Kazuki started, "Your primary weapon is your Haki, right?"

"Yeah…?"

"Well imagine, just… try to follow… imagine that somebody was somehow able to strip you of your Haki abilities."

Halcen clearly didn't like that idea.

"What would you do? Would you try to replace that power with a shield… or armor? Or would you go after the bastard that stole it and reclaim it?"

"Okay, I can understand your point. But don't you think that's a bit of a stretch?"

"Is it?"

"I mean, my Haki is literally a part of me. It _can't_ be removed from me. Nor should it."

"It's essentially the same with our guns. They were designed for us. We _can't_ operate at a hundred percent without them. And I know you want us to be the best we can. If we're to join your crew, don't you think it would be best for us to have the best weapons we could possibly get?"

"I see your point. But we're on a tight schedule. Aren't we kinda in the middle of trying to get your family out from Marine execution? We're supposed to go out of our way to get this taken care of first?"

"We can't save my family without our guns," Bo said.

"Alright, fine," Halcen swore. "But how are we supposed to do that? Are we just supposed to waltz into the Marine base and grab your guns?"

"Can't we go under cover of night and sneak in?" Bo said.

"We could cause another distraction elsewhere while we snuck in. How about making more of those bombs?" Kazuki asked.

"We can't," Jin said. "I'm out of the stuff. We used most of it up making sure we kept you two alive. I don't see the point in risking our lives for a couple guns."

"And I nearly got caught a few times getting those bombs put out," Fein said.

"So do you have any other ideas how to get in?"

Kazuki sighed. "We might."

"Like…?" Halcen asked, reaching out his arm.

"Ensign Masterson."

"Kazuki," Bo said, then shook his head. "No."

"Who is Ensign Masterson?" Halcen asked.

"He was our trainer," Bo sighed.

"He's noted as one of the most proficient snipers in the world," Kazuki pointed out.

"You want to get help from a Marine?" Halcen asked.

"That's right."

"What kind of bullshit are you trying to pull?"

"None at all!"

"No way! You saw what happened when you put your trust in Marines! They captured you! Do you really think trusting _another_ Marine is going to get you what you want?"

"Ensign Masterson is different. He's a good man. We can trust him. I'm sure he'd be willing to help if we just sit down with him and tell him what happened."

Bo started talking. "He's got a daughter himself. I think he'd be empathetic to the situation."

"Oh?" Halcen asked.

Bo nodded.

"Alright…. Fine. If you think you can persuade him into helping..."

The crew waited till morning to get their plan in motion. They were all pretty tired from their night's events, so they took to their bunks for the night. Bo and Kazuki set out to find Ensign Masterson in the morning.

He had leave to own a home outside the base in Loguetown because he had a daughter. They didn't have much for actual homes within the base, so fellow Marines that had families were allowed to live in the actual city. This was good for Halcen and his plan because it meant they didn't have to try to sneak into the base to make this work.

Kazuki and Bo were sent to try to talk to the man. They pounded on his door with some urgency.

"Ensign!" Bo said loudly, trying to get the man's attention.

"What the hell is all this noise?" came a gruff voice from inside the house.

The front door opened to reveal the Ensign. Daddy Masterson was the same height as Bo, but a bit more lean. He had tan skin and dusty brown shaggy hair, with a thick beard that looked unkempt. He had on a very depressive face. He had always maintained a serious facade, but this was different. He was wearing standard civilian clothes. But what was more, was he was holding a pistol at his waist. "What the hell do you two want?"

"Ensign Masterson, please," Kazuki said. "Listen to us."

"Get out of here," he said lowly.

"Please, you have to know we didn't do anything. You of all people should know. You trained us! Are you really going to believe upper command over your own gut? Is that at all like you?"

Masterson moved his eyes about the doorway, making sure nobody was watching. "You have two minutes." He stepped inside and motioned for them to do the same. He closed the door behind them. "What's going on?"

"We need your help!"

"I can't help you," he said, walking across the room. He replaced his pistol to its holster on his hip and picked up a glass of whiskey he had on his table. There was a nearly empty bottle sitting next to it. The Ensign did seem particularly inebriated. He sat down at a couch just inside and motioned for them to sit on the opposing couch.

They took their own seats.

"Please, sir, you have to help!"

"Ensign, listen-"

"You need to stop calling me that," he said cutting them off.

"What?"

"I'm no longer part of the Marines."

"What… what are you talking about?"

"You're joking right?"

"A lot has changed in the time you boys have been gone. You've been gone for months on consecutive missions. Things have happened."

"Like what?" Bo asked.

"Your brother."

Bo gasped. "What?"

"Red-Haired Shanks came through."

"We heard."

"And I was here to challenge your brother to a duel. I could not let a pirate like him walk away without at least trying to stop him."

"Of course…"

"And I lost."

"Really?! You?!"

"That man… spat on my dignity. I lost the duel fair and square and he refused to kill me."

"Oh… shit."

"He said I needed to stay alive… for Carol. To keep her safe."

"He's… he's always had his own way of doing things."

"So I left the Marines."

"You what?!"

"I lost my pride as a Marine and realized I needed to focus on what was really important."

"So you quit? To take care of Carol?"

"Where is she?" Kazuki asked, looking about the house. He hadn't heard her clamoring nor seen her running around the small house.

"She's with a friend of her mother's."

"Why?"

"Cause I'm a shit father."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I was never a very good father. That was Eleanor's thing. But when she passed, it took its toll on me."

"I remember."

"More than I let on. I threw myself into work, and Carol has suffered because of it. She's only four, for God's sake! She's practically an infant. And once I lost that fight… I lost my shit altogether. I stopped taking care of myself, I couldn't take care of _her_. What the hell was I supposed to do?"

"Man the fuck up!" Bo said.

"Excuse me?" the drunk said, glaring angrily at his progeny.

"You can't just give up because you got beat!"

"You don't understand how hard this is!" Masterson shouted.

"I don't?! You don't know the shit we've been in since we left Loguetown!" Bo raged. "We were betrayed by our own commander, left to rot on an island, captured by pirates, almost killed multiple times, we even went up against a warlord for god's sake! And now? The Marines have captured my wife and son for _me_ being a pirate, as they like to claim. So you want to talk about pain? You want to talk about wanting to give up?! I can't think of anything more hurtful than my life right now, and you want to talk about how much yours sucks!? Pathetic."

"At least your wife is alive," Masterson spat.

"For now," Bo said. "If Kazuki and I aren't in Marine custody in the next couple days, they'll kill my family for sure. And you know it. Any relative of any pirate is treated as a pirate themselves."

"Don't you dare!"

Bo stood from his seat. "Don't I dare what? Stand up against this bullshit system? You know damn well how it works! You're just turning a blind eye to it, as I did all these years. I figured, better them than me… but now it _is_ me. After all this time, it's finally happening to me. I can only imagine all the people who I hurt in the process of serving this piece of shit system! Karma made her move. Now I have to give up everything, to save the one thing that actually matters. And dammit, I need your fucking help!"

Daddy stood up suddenly and stared Bo in the eye. "Get out of my house," he said, his voice shaking.

"So that's it, then? You're just gonna coward away and wither and rot? What happened to you?! You were the brave one, you were the strong one! You were my idol! But now? When it finally comes to actually doing something right, you're gonna pull this shit? Fine, be useless. Be shameful."

 _ **BADUP! BADUP! BADUP! BADUP!**_

Kazuki went into his jacket to pull out a den-den mushi. Halcen had given them one in case of emergency. "Hello?" Kazuki said.

"How did it go?" Halcen's voice came over.

Kazuki looked up at Masterson and shook his head. "Not great," he said out loud. "He's not gonna be of any help."

"Oh, really?" Halcen asked, but you could hear something in his voice… something vile.

"What's going on?" Kazuki asked.

"Is he there, with you?" Halcen asked.

"Yeah, we're all here."

"Alright, make sure he hears this. Mister Masterson, I have come to a realization. You are clearly a man with a particular skill-set that we find ourselves in need of. But if you are unwilling to help by your own free choice, perhaps I can sway you."

"What are you blabbering about, pirate scum?" Masterson swore.

"I've found that you have a certain weakness, and you've left it out in the open for all to see."

"Excuse me?"

"Halcen, no…" Kazuki said, coming to a tragic realization.

"I believe there is a little girl that you have left unprotected."

And then they heard what sounded like a little girl say "Daddy."

"CAROL!" Masterson shouted.

"Oh, fuck," Bo said, shaking.

"Halcen, what did you do?" Kazuki asked, shaking.

"Listen, all I want is to talk. Come meet me at the ship, and we'll discuss matters."

"You bastard!" Masterson shouted. "How dare you!? If you harm one hair on her head, I swear to God."

"Don't swear to God, swear to me. I'm the one with leverage. I _am_ your God."

Masterson gulped, and he looked back and forth between Bo and Kazuki with his eyes burning of fury. "Fine, I'll come talk to you."

"Very good. The guys will show you the way to our ship."

 _ **Click!**_

Kazuki and Bo gazed at each other incredulously. How could the man they had joined forces go this far? They had witnessed him peel the flesh from a conscious man for information, sure. Pirate shit. But this? This was new. This was kidnapping an innocent little girl. "What the fuck is going on?"

"What did you two drag me into?" Daddy gasped.

Bo turned to look at Masterson, and said "I am so-"

 **BAM!**

Masterson swung a hard right first across Bo's face, throwing him across the room and against the wall. He was on Bo in a second, grabbing him by the collar with one hand and holding a pistol to his head with the other. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't pull this fucking trigger!"

Bo seethed, staring Daddy in the eyes. "You already know why."

Kazuki interjected. "As bad as this is, Halcen is the kind of man who will take this personally. If you kill either Bo or myself, I can guarantee you will never get to see your daughter again."

Masterson didn't move, but looked to Kazuki and gave him and evil look. "Are you… really going to make that threat? Are you siding with this pirate?"

"Not at all. To be honest, I'm just as surprised as you are. We had no idea Halcen would sink to this low. But now, knowing this, we know he's not going to let this go easily. We need your help, and if you don't comply with his demands, I can only imagine what he'll do. We watched him literally filet a man alive for information. This isn't a man you want to screw with. Don't test him for your pride. Think of Carol."

"You keep her name out of your filthy pirate mouth!"

"Listen to him, Masterson!" Bo shouted.

"Listen? To a pirate? To the two of you? How abou **t** I just kill you both, and kill him myself?"

Kazuki shook his head. "You might be able to… _might._ You're a strong man, sure. But Bo and I just took on Vergo by ourselves and were able to subdue him. Halcen was able to take on Commodore Reluji, Bo, and myself all on his own. He was also able to take down a fifty foot bear god that had taken over an entire island."

"So I get help! Vergo, Smoker, there are a handful of powerful fighters in the Marines here."

"Okay, maybe so. But Halcen also has a crew: the Chaos Pirates. They're composed of a very talented, but young, swordsman; two genius technologists, one of whom was able to handle Halcen by himself in hand to hand combat; a new but very strong and agile navigator that not even Bo could land a shot on, and then there's the first mate, Axcel D. Grey. We watched Grey take on and _defeat_ the Warlord Dracule Mihawk, _by_ _himself_. This man was one of the Roger Pirates back in the glory days, and personally trained the Yonko Red-Haired Shanks. Now, think to yourself… do you really want to try this? Even _if_ you manage to take down Bo and I, and get out of this house without severe detriment to your own self… can you really win this war?"

Masterson's body shook. He took a deep breath.

"Listen, we don't want your daughter to end up fatherless, nor do we want you to lose her. I promise we will do _everything_ we can to keep you both alive. I will die to keep her alive if that's what it takes, so don't treat us like the enemies. We can handle this. Let's just go talk to him."

"Fine," Masterson finally said. "Take me to him."

The three men finally ended up at the docks, and stalked carefully toward the Black Tail.

Bo walked behind and eyed the place. "I still can't believe he would do something like this," he cursed.

"I know," Kazuki said. "But we gotta get this over with. Remember, a lot more than just Carol's life rests on this. "

And then they all stepped aboard. Halcen was standing up on the top level of the deck by the wheel. Morkine was standing behind him. The dark-skinned man's bald head glistened in the sun. Grey and Jory wandered about the deck, waiting for them to arrive. There was nothing to be seen of Jin nor Fein. This made Kazuki worry.

Halcen stepped forward to welcome his guest. He walked to the balcony and leaned up against it. "Hello, Ensign Masterson."

"Where's my daughter!?"

"Your daughter?" Halcen said, pretending to be confused.

"Don't play games with me, you twat! Tell me where she is! I swear, if you've harmed her, I will kill you all!"

Halcen laughed. He pulled back from the balcony and began walking down the stairs to meet them on the lower deck. "One, you couldn't if you wanted to. We both know that. And two, I have not harmed your precious daughter."

"Where is she!?"

"Oh, rest assured, she's in a safe place. And she will remain safe, I promise. You, however, are in the lion's den," he said with vehemence. "Now, why don't we talk about you helping us?"

"I already told your pawns, I'm no longer a part of the Marines."

"Pawns?" Halcen laughed. "They're my bishops. They're quite valuable. And they would be _more_ valuable when properly equipped." He stepped in front of Masterson and took a moment to adjust the man's collar.

Masterson swung his arm about swept Halcen's arms aside, then pulled a pistol from his hip and aimed it at Halcen's head. "Give me my daughter back, you sick bastard!"

Everyone jumped to action except Halcen.

Morkine readied his blunderbuss.

Jory unsheathed his sword.

Grey readied his fists.

Fein dropped from the mast above and covered Masterson's back.

Halcen just stood still and coated himself in Haki.

Bo and Kazuki watched as their mentor was outmatched.

"We told you not to!" Kazuki said. "This isn't going to get your daughter back, just get you killed!"

"Can you really blame him?" Bo asked, taking a look around.

"Excuse me?" Halcen asked.

"You kidnapped his daughter, Halcen! Even for you, that's too far. How do you think this is going to play out when all is said and done? Do you really think we'll forgive this and just ride off into the sunset like nothing happened?"

"Halcen," Grey said, insistent.

Halcen put up his hand to silence Grey. "This is the way this has to go." Then he looked to Bo and said "Listen, pal, you asked me for help. _Me_. Your family is in danger. I said, 'Okay, I'll help.' You say you need to get your guns back first. I say 'Okay, I'll help.' But you have nothing to offer to get started. We have no other leads. You can't just rush in by yourself. We can't march against an entire base with just us. We gotta be smart about this. We need an inside man. He said no. So I did what I had to do."

Masterson looked at Halcen, then looked about. He pulled another pistol and aimed it at the encroaching Grey.

Grey stopped for a second and looked at Masterson, astounded that someone would be dumb enough to pull a gun on him.

"Daddy Masterson, elite sniper," Halcen said, bringing his attention back to Halcen. He outstretched his hands out to the sides. His black coat was thick and ready to defend. "If you really think this is the best way for you to die, I will gladly oblige. But If you want to see your daughter again, put down your gun. We can make a deal. We can come to some sort of arrangement, can't we?"

"How do I know you won't just kill my daughter even if I do help you?"

"I'd be a lot more worried about my own well being, if I were you. You're the one on a ship full of pirates."

Masterson swore, then dropped his arms to his sides. "What do you want me to do?"


	27. Man About Town

**AN: Here it is! My official 25th chapter. And we're still going hard on my Loguetown Arc. I feel pretty good about the way this story is going. And very happy with how much support I've gotten. Thanks guys! Let's keep wrecking this shit!**

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Man About Town

Daddy Masterson was one of the world's greatest snipers. His name had been spread across the world. He was known as the Marine's top sniper, and had even been promoted to Ensign, an officer rank, which no other active sniper had ever achieved. All incoming snipers into the Marines were even shipping to Loguetown to be trained by him specifically. His prowess was known to be unmatched.

But one day, there came a man; a pirate; whom Masterson challenged, and lost to. This man's name was Yusha Yasopp. He was the sniper of the Yonko Red-Haired Shanks' crew, and had gained his own renown, not only across the East Blue, where he was from, but the whole world. And in that moment, when Yasopp had the honor of killing one of the most important men in the Marine order, he refused. Instead, Yasopp gave Daddy an out; to be alive for his daughter, as Yasopp lamented over his own inability to be there for his own child.

And with this broken honor, Daddy Masterson quit the Marines, to focus on his own life, one in which he delved into chaos and ruin. And now, here he was, playing puppet to a pirate.

"Hold there, Delvin Mallory!" Masterson shouted.

"Shit!" A man shouted. Mallory was a relatively young man. He had a buzzed head and a very straight face. He wore light leather armor that allowed him to move quickly. He was a thief. This was his trade.

Masterson had his eyes on the man and stood in a clearing, where the street shops were all set up in a confusing pattern and people walked by in haste.

Mallory looked back to see the man standing back. He had a large parka on so you couldn't see his arms. But the thief knew he was in trouble. He turned and headed into the crowd and began sprinting. He tried to shove people out of the way, but had to duck and dive between others, and started shouting at them. His voice was coarse. "Move!"

The sniper stood patiently at the back and lifted his parka to reveal thirty pistols that were strapped to his body. He pulled one with his right hand and aimed it into the crowd. He was steady and took his time. But there was no opening. There were too many people and Mallory kept ducking and swerving to avoid giving Masterson a straight shot. "Dammit," he cursed lowly to himself, then shoved the pistol back in its holster and began chasing after the man through the crowd.

Mallory already had a fair lead though, and being a thief, he was exceptionally fast. Masterson was high level sniper, but he was not meant to be quick of foot. He was a precision instrument, not a runner. He had to think.

More likely than not, Mallory would remain within the crowd, unless cornered. That would keep the gunman at a disadvantage. He had been at this for a while and he knew what he was doing.

Masterson struggled to keep up. He was relatively large and couldn't keep himself from running into other people. He felt like a burden just trying to pass people. _I can't let this bastard get away!_ So he pushed harder and started knocking people aside. "Get back here!" he shouted angrily.

Mallory would not wane though. He rushed through the crowds with the pursuing vet. He was beginning to fear for his life. Loguetown was a rough place. He had come here fairly recently and attempted to stay in the shadows, as a thief does. He had not succeeded as well as he had hoped.

Mallory got caught up in a wave of people that pushed him off his feet. There was a large group of pirates that he ran right into, not paying attention, and got knocked down.

"Why you little-" one of the pirates shouted.

Mallory was a moderately small man, so he attempted to stay out of real fights. "Oh, shit!"

The pirate bent down to grab at him, but Mallory dodged the man's grasp and swiped a knife across his hand, spilling the pirate's blood.

"You little shit!" the man yelled, and began to go after Mallory too.

The thief was in a panic. He ran as hard as he could down an abandoned alleyway.

Masterson made sure he was able to keep an eye on him. He made short, concise moves. The thief had made another enemy. This was good, but bad at the same time.

Mallory rushed through the alley but saw the massive pirate coming at him. "Fuck, fuck, fuck." He stopped and looked up. There was a clear path to the top of the building if he could make the leap. He rushed against the wall and scraped until he was able to latch onto a small ledge, too small for anybody else's hands. He yanked himself up and lost the confused pirate.

Masterson smiled.

Mallory rushed up a fire escape and kept climbing. He got to the top of the building and gave himself a small respite. He sat down and gave himself a breather. He was heaving.

"That was quite the show," said a man behind him.

Mallory jumped and turned around to see the man that had been following him. "Who the hell _are_ you?! Why are you following me?"

"You've made a nice little name for yourself, haven't you?" Masterson unfurled a bounty poster from his cloak and tossed it at the thief. "It's time you were taken down."

"Oh, shit." Mallory looked at his wanted poster. He _had_ made a name for himself. He had a bounty of three million beri. He had been able to get by without hassle for a while and kept people off his ass, until now. "You're a bounty hunter?"

Masterson just stared.

"Well you're not gonna take me that easily!" He shouted, then flung a knife at his hunter.

Masterson sidestepped the blade and pulled a pistol from his cloak.

Mallory went stiff. "Dammit!"

"Now, come with me quietly."

The thief stared at the ex-Marine. "Fine."

"You did well," Avarik Halcen told the sniper once he had returned to the pirate's ship, with thief in hand. "With this, we have our in." Halcen looked down at the man with his big green eyes. They shone in the day's sun and glistened. This man had something evil in mind.

"What… what are you going to do to me?" Mallory asked, shaking. Masterson had bound his body in ropes to prevent him from attempting an escape.

"Oh, I'm not gonna do shit," Halcen said. "But you are going to get your due."

"What does that mean?"

"Hush."

"What the-?"

"SHUT UP!" Halcen shouted

Mallory quieted himself, but began to panic.

Halcen turned toward Masterson. "Are we clear on the rest of the mission?"

"I know what I'm doing," he spat.

"Good. Cause we can't afford you fucking this up."

"Trust me, I'm fully aware of the consequences. Can we get moving now? I want to get this shit over with as fast as possible."

"I'm sure your daughter would appreciate that," Halcen said slyly.

Masterson harrumphed.

"Will somebody tell me what the hell is going on?" Mallory raged.

"Will you shut him up?" Halcen asked Masterson.

Daddy looked angrily at Halcen. "What do you expect me to do?"

"Well, he's likely to be pretty talkative when you finally take him in. His wanted poster does say 'Dead or Alive.'"

"You want me to kill him to keep your part a secret?" Masterson gaffed.

"Whoa whoa whoa! Guys! Let's not be rash! Come on! Maybe you can just let me go and I won't say anything!"

"That's not an option," Halcen said.

"I'm not gonna bloody my hands for your dirty plan," the vet spat.

"Oh, but you had no problem doing it for the Marines for years?"

"Don't you dare!"

"Guys, come on! I swear! I won't say anything!"

Halcen turned to Mallory. "The fact that you won't shut up right now tells me all I need to know." Halcen pulled out his pistol and aimed it at Mallory's head, and with one quick pull and a bang, the man was dead.

Mallory's body dropped to the deck of the Black Tail. His blood began to pool from hole in his head.

Everyone froze, staring at Halcen.

Masterson went stiff. He had just watched the man who kidnapped his daughter murder a man in cold blood merely for talking. This was when he realized, he really _didn't_ want to play this game. He gulped.

Halcen pointed at Jory. "Get this cleaned up. We can't have blood stains setting in on my ship."

Jory's eyes were wide. He hadn't been ready for this. "Uhm… yeah."

Halcen motioned to Kazuki. "Let's go."

The sniper followed suit. He was armed with some leftover pistols and a dagger. This wasn't supposed to be a full on battle mission, but a get in and get out. Halcen had almost asked Fein to come with them, being that he had some stealth qualities, but thought against it. He left everyone else on board to guard the ship and keep an eye on Bo. They had some issues to work out, but they didn't have time to deal with it right now. There were more pressing matters.

The day was beginning to end, and night was catching quick. It had taken almost all day for them to fledge out their plan, and longer to find and capture Mallory. But it had all come together in fine timing. This really wasn't something Halcen wanted to do out in the open of daylight.

Masterson carried Mallory on his shoulder through the city streets, while Halcen and Kazuki remained up on the building tops following from a distance. This was something Halcen was worried about was making sure since it was just him, Masterson, and Kazuki, that they didn't team up on him. This was why he had left Bo on the ship and brought Kazuki instead. Bo was in much too emotional a state. Kazuki could still be reasoned with. He was a smart guy. He could be kept in check.

Finally, they got to the entrance of the base. This was where it got risky. The sun was almost all the way down and dusk had covered the sky. But there was going to be much more security, especially since their attack on the base the previous night. The Marines were going to be on high alert. They had to be extra careful.

Halcen and Kazuki stopped for a moment when Masterson came up to the checkpoint. Halcen sat down and took out a small piece of chocolate that was wrapped in foil and began unwrapping it.

Kazuki stood there, watching his old mentor. There were certain strings one just shouldn't do. "Halcen, I gotta ask: why?"

"Well, I figured we had a minute, so why not have a snack?" Halcen said, as if the statement should be obvious.

"No, I mean… why did you kidnap his daughter? Isn't there a line… even for you?"

Halcen chuckled. "Look, pal, I know you've got an attachment to this guy, but there are things that need to be done, regardless of how much you might not want to. That's what separates the boys from the men. I saw what had to be done, and I did it. And if that means I get hateful looks, then so be it. I'm not gonna stop doing my job just because you don't like _how_ I'm doing it. Okay? Remember, _you're_ the ones that asked _me_ for help."

Kazuki scoffed and shook his head. "You really think that excuse is going to fly? Do you really think this will end well? What, you'll give Carol back after you feel like Daddy's finished his tasks, after you're bored with pulling his strings, right? And then Bo and I will just forgive what you've done? And what, we'll all sail off into the sunset, like nothing ever happened?"

"However _you_ decide to act is on you. I can't control how you feel. Nor would I want that responsibility. You two are grown men. You've seen the shit that's out there. Don't pretend to be this naïve. You're a smart man. Do you think _I'd_ let something this small push me to the edge like that?"

"Wait.. what the hell does that mean?" Kazuki thought he heard something off in that.

Halcen's face twitched, then he popped the piece of chocolate in his mouth to end the conversation.

Kazuki just shook his head. "Fine. If that's the way you want to play it."

They both turned back to check on Mister Masterson. The man had finally made the case to let him in. They had to have two men come as an armed escort to walk with him to the Captain's office. This was where the plan got risky.

Halcen and Kazuki had to cross over the buildings without being seen. Most eyes would be on their old Ensign. Masterson himself was the distraction. But that was only part of the plan.

Masterson finally arrived at Vergo's office. He carried the dead man and tossed him on the ground in front of Vergo's desk. Masterson looked about the room. "Looks like you had a hell of a party."

"What are you doing here, Ensign? _Former_ Enisgn."

"Why did you have eggs for dinner?" Masterson asked.

"It was a ramen bowl. It had chicken and eggs. How did you know?"

Masterson merely motioned to his face.

Vergo swiped his left side of his face, missing the leftover food completely. "Did I get it?"

"Sure…"

"So, why are you here?"

"No time for pleasantries, Captain?"

"I'm afraid there's no time. Unless it's urgent business, I've got little time to chat. We've got problems arising left and right, and there's an inspection coming in a couple days."

"Well I'll get right to it then. This here is Delvin Mallory, a wanted criminal. He's got a bounty of three million beri. I would like to be paid."

"What? Now you've reduced yourself to bounty hunting?"

"I've got to get by somehow. My daughter needs me to take care of her. If I throw you a little fish here and there, we can get by just fine."

"Seems like a waste for someone of your talents."

"My whole life has been a waste. I'd rather take this time to focus on my daughter."

"Suit yourself."

"He was carrying these on him," Masterson said, walking up to the desk. He plopped down a bag full of weapons. There were a couple knives, a short sword, two handguns, and a hand grenade. In reality, Mallory had only been carrying two knives, but that wasn't enough to warrant what needed to be done next.

"Looks like he was planning on hurting someone."

"That's what I suspected."

"Hmm… I'll make sure these get taken care of."

"And about my pay?" Masterson asked.

"Ah, yes. That will be taken care of as well." The Captain looked to the two Marine escorts. " _You_ take these," he said to one, handing him the bag of planted weapons. "And _you_ take him to get paid," he motioned to the other Marine.

"It's been good seeing you, Captain," Masterson said.

"I suppose," Vergo said with little enthusiasm. He watched the three men leave his office, and then immediately went back to work.

Halcen and Kazuki were waiting in position. Kazuki knew exactly where the requisitioned equipment was stored. They just had to wait for the man to come and open up their treasure chest. They were ready.

And only a few minutes later, there he was. There was the man that came to open the door to their destiny. Or rather… something vastly dissimilar. More like… a weird itch you can't get by yourself.

The Marine carried the bag of the weapons pried from Mallory's dead body. He carried the keys to the building too. This wasn't an easy place to break into. There were two armed guards standing at the entrance, waiting patiently. There were keys and surely an alarm or trap to keep thieves out. But Halcen was no thief. He was a pirate. He was going to blow this place to high heaven if he had to. Luckily, he didn't have to.

They waited patiently as they watched the key-bearer go in through the door. It took him a few seconds to get the door open, but as soon as they did, it was on.

"Now," Halcen said to himself. And then he pressed a button on a small device he carried with him.

A small explosion emanated from the bag the man was carrying. A noxious green gas spewed from the bomb and caused the man to panic. He had no idea what was happening. He made a move to toss the bag away, but it was already too late. He began coughing and fell to his knees. He quickly fell to the poison's effects. All this alerted the guards he had passed.

They dropped their guard and went to inspect the man. They ran into the haze of green smoke that covered the small area and began to feel its effects as well.

"Aaaaaannnndddd…. now," Halcen said.

This was where the two men went into action. They put on their small gas masks, nodded to each other, then jumped down from the rooftop of the opposite building and dropped down on top of the guards, knocking them both unconscious. Their bodies crumpled like cardboard.

Kazuki looked about to make sure nobody else was nearby, watching them. They needed to remain unnoticed. "We're clear."

Halcen stood up and said "Let's go." He walked up to the first man, who Kazuki had poisoned and pulled the key from his grasp. "Worked like a charm." His plan was going smoothly.

The two wanted men slipped into the chamber and out of the moonlight. They had to pass through a long hallway but there was nothing that prevented them from moving forward. There was one small gate that they had the key for, but that was it. Otherwise, they slipped through unmolested.

They arrived in a pitch black room, but they could tell it was large. Kazuki fumbled about until he found a lamplight and lit it. A small segment of the room began to glow. He could only see for a couple yards. He went about, lighting the rest of the lanterns in the room until their glow was enough to actually see. They found themselves in a room about fifty feet across that was a giant circle. There were iron fences lining the sides of the room in a wide circle as well. There was only one actual gate though. And there they saw the massive treasure trove.

They gazed in wide wonder at the joy they had found. There were chests upon chests upon chests filled with knives, guns, and grenades. There were racks filled with spears, swords, and maces. There were stands layered with magnificent pieces of armor and embroidery. There was even a giant pile of what seemed to be unsorted equipment lying in the very middle of the room. The place was heaven.

Halcen stared with jeweled eyes. "Holy shit."

Kazuki looked about, nodding. "I knew it existed, I just didn't realize how much there would be."

"So you go ahead and find your guns, I'm gonna take a look around."

The two them split up and started searching the mounds of weapons and armor. This was like Christmas shopping. They had never seen so much they wanted for themselves all at once.

And as they began to work their way through the treasure trove, they heard rattling.

The two men turned from opposite sides of the room and looked at each other.

"Was that you?" Halcen asked.

"I was hoping it was you," Kazuki said.

And then the giant mound of loose weapons began to shift.

They looked upon it with abject horror, wondering what was about it happen.

"Who the hell turned the lights on?" came a gruff voice from under the pile.

"Fuck," Halcen whispered to himself.

There, dressed in casual navy blue pants and a white t-shit, was a giant man. He stood ten feet tall, with pale white skin, mangled red hair, and confused green eyes. His wasn't very muscular, but had a bit of pudge on him. He looked about the room in confusion. "Who are you?" he asked, when he settled his eyes on Halcen.


	28. Hidden Boss

**AN: So this chapter did take a LOT longer than I wanted it to. I had an actually hard time getting it put together too, because I wasn't planning on this happening in the story. Not to mention I had little time to work on it because work has been so damn heavy lately. The chapter also ended up becoming much too long, so I've had to cut it in half. So I'm gonna be working on the next half these coming weeks. Hopefully I can get it out faster. But anyway, here you all are! Hope you enjoy it. :)**

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Hidden Boss

Halcen looked up at the giant man standing in front of him. He had a lot of extra heft so he kinda swayed while he stood there. There was a decent amount of muscle, sure, but it was mostly hidden underneath an extra layer of fat; padding. He had thick, but mangled, bright orange hair that came down around his head.

"Who are you?" the man asked, with a deep voice that echoed in the chambers.

Halcen gulped. This was not what he had expected when he entered the requisitions room of the Loguetown Marine base. He had planned for some small traps, sure, a few armed guards that they had already disposed of. But not this, not some behemoth man that awaited them inside. "Nobody of importance," Halcen said. He had to think. This was supposed to be a stealth mission, and it had failed. He needed to figure their next move.

Kazuki stood opposite Halcen, on the far side of the room, behind the guard. The man hadn't seemed to have noticed Kazuki yet. He motioned to Halcen.

Halcen didn't respond, for fear of giving away Kazuki's position, but knew Kazuki was smart enough to understand that. "Who are _you!?_ " Halcen asked in response.

Kazuki began to move. He needed to do recon. He was a former Marine of Loguetown, but had never known there to be a guard _inside_ the requisitions room. Surely this must have been a mistake.

"I am Commander Darmichal."

"And what are you doing here, _'Commander?'_ "

"I came here to turn some equipment in, but I found it so cozy in here, I had to take a nap… and then _you_ came in and woke me up!" He yawned.

"I see…" Halcen started backing toward the door. "Well, I think I ought to just step out and let you get back to your nap."

The man glared. "That's not a Marine uniform…"

 _Shit._ "I think you had best forget I was here," Halcen said.

The man sighed. "Oh, how I wish that were true. I'd rather go back to my nap, but I'm awake now, and had best do my job. I'm not an officer of the Marines for nothing."

 _Fuck._ "I _really_ don't want to do this," Halcen said. "We're both lazy, let's just let bygones be bygones and I'll be out of your hair. You'll pretend like you never woke up and I'll pretend like I was never here."

The man looked sadly at the pirate. He just shook his head. "So what have you come for, thief?"

The word stung his pride. "I'm no thief."

"Then why are you here?"

Halcen couldn't look directly at Kazuki, but saw him in his peripherals. He took a moment to think about how he wanted to answer. _We still need to get their rifles. But should we withdraw until this guy leaves? No… if we leave, they'll be onto our plan and reinforce the room. We need to take this guy down so we can take the rifles and get out without anyone else noticing. I fought Reluji and took him down. He was a Commodore. This guy is only a Commander. That's two ranks lower. And I have Kazuki to help. I can do this._ "I'm a pirate," he smiled, "and I've come to claim my booty!" Halcen pulled a pistol and fired a shot off.

Darmichal was large, but surprisingly quick. His large fat body lunged, kicking up all the loose pieces of equipment that he had been lying under, and spraying them about the room. Darmichal himself was across the room in no time, and had avoided the bullet before Halcen had a chance to pull the trigger. His legs landed on the side of the gate and he pushed himself off and pounced toward Halcen. On his way back, he crashed into a bunch of chests and racks of equipment, making a mess of the room.

Halcen rolled out of the way as the giant came crashing to the spot he had just been. He was able to get a good ten feet distance between himself and the Marine Officer. Darmichal was still getting up and turned back around, so Halcen took a second to glance around for Kazuki. Halcen couldn't see anything. The sniper had found himself a hiding spot. _Good. That means I don't have to worry about giving him away. I can focus on the fight._

* * *

Kazuki knew he needed to get out of the way, fast. This beastly Commander was nothing to toy with. He had heard of Darmichal as being quite odd, but very powerful. He had risen through ranks almost as quickly as Vergo had. But where Vergo had Haki, this man had his own power. Word was that he was being chosen to be promoted to Captain and put in charge of his own base elsewhere in the East Blue. This was only what Kazuki had put together from second-hand knowledge of the man. Kazuki himself had never spent much time with him, only in passing and during general assemblies. But he knew well enough to stay out of his way, especially when he was about to go toe to toe with Avarik Halcen, Carbon Carnivore, Captain of the Chaos Pirates.

Kazuki had the eyes nobody else did to spot the things that nobody else could. He found himself a nestling spot in the rafters hidden in the darkness above the metal gates running around the room. There was a ledge of concrete that cut in a couple feet and let him spy from above. There, he would be hidden. From there, he could plot.

 _I need to figure out a plan. If I just sit here, I could get caught up in this fight, and that won't be pretty. Halcen and I need to get out of here before this guy gets serious._ He looked upon the two men circling each other and testing each other. Halcen hadn't put on his Haki yet, probably as a means to keep his power secret until needed. That was smart. He didn't know the Commander's powers either. _But if Halcen's still here, he's probably intent on an actual fight. That won't be good. He knows that if we try to flee, there's no coming back, and our whole operation is blown. He knows he'd need to take down Darmichal to keep this secret. So what do I do?_ And then he thought to himself a wicked thought. _I could escape. I could let Darmichal take down Halcen and that would be the end of it. Surely, this man would be powerful enough at least to do some serious damage. I could slip out, take Bo and Masterson, find his daughter, and we could all escape Loguetown before the crew knew what was going on. Without Halcen to keep them together, I don't think they'd be able to get their shit together fast enough. I could do that._ But then he came to reality. _But that wouldn't be me. Even after all this bullshit, I still owe him. And we still need him. We can't save Bo's family without him. So I have to make sure he wins this fight. Fuck my life._

Kazuki knew what he had to do.

* * *

Halcen stood still, staring at the Commander. He was far too fast for such a big man. Halcen was having a hard time keeping himself from getting flattened out. He was also having a hard time keeping himself from using his Haki. They were only testing each other thus far. Darmichal had not shown his own power, nor would Halcen until necessary. _This is just warm-up,_ Halcen told himself. _I can't go all out right now and waste my Haki. I have no idea what this guy is capable of._ So he widened his stance and strengthened his legs, ready to move when Darmichal came for him.

The man shot off like a bullet at Halcen, again blowing away the weapons and armor that had been neatly stacked about the room. Halcen barely had time to jump. He rolled into the ground again. And stood up just slightly before the Commander was able to. He still didn't have enough time to get ready. The Marine threw himself again, blasting off from the ground toward Halcen. Halcen barely managed to stumble off to the side and he fell on his ass, but just out of the way.

Halcen sighed relief. _This guy is too fucking fast. What am I supposed to do? He hasn't even begun to get serious and I'm already starting reach that point. What the hell am I supposed to do here?_

Halcen rolled back and jumped up onto his feet just as the giant man swung his massive arm across. Halcen hadn't been able to dodge far enough away to be out of arm's reach, so he was right in the swing zone. He didn't have time to think or even try to use his Haki. Darmichal's swing was way too fast, and it threw Halcen across the room and against a wall.

Halcen hit the fence with a loud creek, bending the metal. He slid down onto his knees and looked up at the Marine. _You bastard._ Halcen wiped the blood from his mouth. _Alright, fine._ He stood up straight and got ready. His body was a bit sore, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. This was the first hit of the fight. It was about to get real.

"Haha!" Darmichal shouted. "At last!" He seemed upbeat now. He was sure he was in control.

Halcen was glad for that. He stood patiently.

"If all you're going to do is stand around, then maybe you ought to quit now, thief!" He said.

"I told you already, I'm not a thief."

"If you say so." And then the Commander came again. He thrust himself with much more might this time, being that he was farther from Halcen, and he was in good spirits. So he came much faster.

But there was still enough room. Halcen threw himself into a spiral and whipped out his gun at the same time that Darmichal clashed into the metal fence, right where Halcen had been. Halcen pulled the trigger and the gun exploded on the Marine.

Darmichal's body took the impact of the bullet in full, as shown by his groaning face, and the jerk his body took caused by the bullet. But the bullet did not break skin. It crumpled and fell to the floor, as if it had hit armor. There was no visible damage.

Halcen gaped in disbelief. "You gotta be fucking kidding me." His mind raced. _That wasn't Haki. I didn't see or sense anything. There's no way he's wearing some kind of invisible armor. What the hell is going on? There's been something off with this fight since the beginning. Something weird is going on with this man._ Halcen looked on in horror as the man turned back around and looked down upon the little pirate.

"Oh, drats. I guess you got me," the Marine grunted mockingly. "I've been defeated," then he began to chuckle. And his laugh echoed through the small room. Then he brushed his shoulder, pretending to look for blood. "I've been sho- oh wait… I guess not." Then he looked back at Halcen with a devilish smile.

"No… You've got Devil Fruit power."

"Oh, you figured it out, did you? I was hoping you would be dumb enough to just simply freak out while I killed you. But I guess that's a bit of a pipedream, huh?"

"What is it? Some kind of invincibility?" Halcen asked.

"Sure, you can call it whatever you like," the Marine said, not wanting to give away his power. The fact that Halcen had figured out he was a Devil Fruit user was enough to give him a little help. The Commander didn't want to risk losing the fight by giving away the power altogether.

 _No, that's not it,_ Halcen thought. _There's something more… complicated than that. He's been fighting weird this whole time. He's inhumanly fast… so that's gotta be part of it. Maybe a weird Zoan that doesn't need to transform? No… that's not in. It's not a Logia or the bullet would have gone right through him. So it's gotta be a paramecia. But of what? Speed? No, that wouldn't have stopped the bullet. He took the bullet, felt the pain, but it didn't do real damage. Fuck._ Halcen didn't have any more time to think.

Darmichal was on him again. He blasted off like a rocket and came hurtling toward Halcen. And it seemed to be even faster than before.

Halcen threw himself out of the way, rolled into a stop, then turned to watch.

Darmichal was too fast this time and smashed into the gate, even causing a crack in the concrete beneath him when he landed. It took him longer to get up this time too.

Halcen took advantage of that, and ran all the way across the other side of the room, avoiding slipping on the weapons and armor that had been thrown about the room by all Darmichal's blasts. Halcen stopped on the far side of the room.

And then Darmichal readied himself once more. The Commander had had enough playing around. And it was time to take this thief down. They had both taken a hit, but the Marine had taken no damage. But the fact that it had happened at all wounded his officer ego. He readied himself for one strong launch.

 _BOOM!_

 _BANG!_

The sound of Darmichal taking off and breaking the concrete created its own shattering sound. But then came the sound of a heavy rifle. From somewhere above, a gun sounded that shot a single round at therocketing Marine. One could not place the exact location, being that the sound echoed so heavily in the small room.

Halcen knew it was Kazuki, attempting to help in the fight. _He must have found his rifle._

When the bullet hit Darmichal, it knocked him off his rush, and flung him to the side, spiraling him into the metal gate on the opposite side of the room. It creaked as it ripped, and the crash seemed to blast a large hole in the concrete wall. It was several feet wide.

But when Darmichal pulled himself from the wall, Halcen once again saw that there was no noticeable damage. He had taken the brute force of the bullet, but taken no injury with it. _How the hell is this possible?_

Darmichal spun out, struggling to get back up. He seemed out of it, but he quickly came back to. He looked about the room, wondering where the bullet had come from. "So you've got reinforcements," he said, not even looking at Halcen.

"So it would seem," Halcen said, confidently. _But now that he's in play, I need to keep Darmichal focused on me. If he gets to Kazuki, he's done for._ Halcen stepped forward, and grabbed a couple swords from the ground, and held them each in one hand. They weren't very heavy, but they were enough to cause a distraction. He grabbed them tightly and rushed at Darmichal, shouting as he went.

Darmichal didn't see that coming. He snapped back to focus on Halcen and readied himself for the shorter man's attack.

Halcen jumped up at the man, swinging the swords down at his torso. Halcen could see the visible worry in the Marine's eyes as their eyes met. He was afraid of the blades. Halcen came down as hard as he could.

But Darmichal's swift arm tossed Halcen aside like nothing. He had outmatched him in the test of strength. That was painfully obvious.

But in the moment he was open, another bullet slammed into Darmichal's chest. His body jerked backwards again, but this time he was ready to take it on. He was pushed back a few feet, but was able to keep his feet on the ground, and prevented himself from getting slammed into the wall. He groaned in massive pain as the bullet bashed into his chest, but then began laughing once the drained bullet fell to the ground. "Oh man, what a rush!" he laughed. "I haven't taken this many hits in a long time. I'm usually able to take down my enemies pretty quickly." Then he turned to look at Halcen. "But you two," he said as seemed to vanish, but then appeared before Halcen, arms in the air. He slammed them down on Halcen in a heavy hammer that crushed him into the ground.

Then Darmichal pushed off from the ground even faster, jumping upward to the ceiling, landed upside down, spotted Kazuki, then pushed off again, breaking the ceiling stone, crashed into Kazuki, grabbed him by the body, then did a backflip, and came down in a massive slam with Kazuki smashing into the ground.

Kazuki groaned in agony. _How the hell did he find me?_

Darmichal stood up from the two men he had seemingly just taken down. He heaved in pain at all that energy exertion. He also smiled in pride. "That's what you get for messing with a Marine."

Then he heard the cackling of a pirate. "That's what pirates do," Halcen laughed. Halcen slowly stood up, his body shaking. He was able to get his one foot up, and proceeded from there.

Darmichal turned and looked down at the man. "Seriously?" the Commander gasped. "How are you not dead?"

Halcen's breathing was impaired, but he was still able to talk. "You're gonna have to do a lot more than that to take me down." And then he looked up at the Marine and stared in his eyes. "Especially since I now know how your Devil Fruit works."

"Oh, you figured it out?" Kazuki asked, grunting. He was able to gather himself enough to stand up. His body hung a bit to the side, his right leg not quite able to support him. But he still had himself and his gun.

"No… You don't know," Darmichal said with clear concern.

Halcen laughed.

"You're lying."

Halcen began walking about. He had a slight limp, but nothing impeding. "It was hard to figure out at first." He took a breath and cleared his throat. "There we go. Like I was saying. It was odd, because it's pretty complex, so it wasn't easy, but I got it. You were able to bullrush in a very inhuman way. I began to suspect you might have a speed-like boost, but that was too simple. That didn't explain why you were able to just take the bullet. And an armor-like power didn't explain the speed. Then I saw how you got faster… after all three bullet hits… as if you absorbed the energy. And in the moment you smashed me into the ground, I realized it. I didn't have time to avoid your attack, but it was a worthwhile sacrifice. I'm guessing it's some kind of hyper energy fruit, where you're able to absorb and use energy to your advantage."

"Damn," Kazuki said. "That makes sense."

"Well, I'll be. I'm impressed a pirate was able to figure that out. I guess since you got that, I might as well tell you its name. It's the Doteki Doteki fruit. It's turned me into a Kinetic Human. I can bend kinetic energy to my will."

"I knew it," Halcen said. "That would explain why you fell asleep here. There's no energy. There's no motion. You'd get weak and sleepy. But the opposite is true too. The more intense the fight gets, the stronger you get. That's a pretty impressive power for someone only in a Commander's rank."

"I've only been a Commander for about a year. I'm being scouted for Captain. They're gonna put me in charge of my own base."

"I see." Halcen had all the information he needed. What he didn't have was an answer; something he was not prepared for. _How are we supposed to kill someone who can absorb any attack we throw at them, and then get more powerful from that? How the fuck are we supposed to beat this bastard?_

"I'd heard some rumors about that," Kazuki said.

"And just who are you?" Darmichal asked, confused as to how this lowly pirate knew about him.

 _Dammit. I shouldn't have said that._ "Just another nobody," Kazuki said.

"No… wait… I know you. I've seen your face."

 _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._

"Ureha Kazuki, traitor extraordinaire. You betrayed your commanding officer to pirates."

Kazuki's face twitched. _Dammit_.

"Then that makes you," he said, looking to Halcen. "Avarik Halcen. Carbon Carnivore. Captain of the Chaos Pirates. My, my. You're both wanted men. This makes my day all the better. Looks like this is the last stop for you boys.

And then they were out of time.

"I suppose now is a good time to end this little game," the Commander said, tired of playing. "I'd best finish this off so I can get back to my nap!" He tilted his head to Halcen. "Here we go."

"Here we go," Halcen said. _I don't know what to expect from such a complex ability. He's got nearly infinite applications to it. And he must know how to use it, seeing as how he's been promoted many times. I have to prepare. But I also have to keep Kazuki alive._


	29. Collide

**AN: So I finished the boss fight. Read the epic conclusion here! It took a couple extra days to get out than I wanted, but all well. I do have to make a note to tell you guys that I will be taking a break from this fic for a bit. I had just finished rewatching Friends last month and I started having some ideas about a fic for that. So I did want to take a little extra time to focus on that. It's an easy one shot, should only be about 6000 words, so it won't take TOO long. For the fans of the show, it will be much darker than the actual show and will be more of a reunion in later years than anything else. Anyway, I hope all is well with you guys, Happy Holidays, and see you when I'm done. :)**

* * *

Collide

Halcen and Kazuki were set against a Marine Commander who had taken little time to show his vast physical superiority. Darmichal held the power of the Kinetic Kinetic Devil Fruit and it had given him a clear advantage. He had also seemed to be of moderately high intelligence; not just another dumb giant.

Halcen thought to himself. _This man is so fucking strong. How Reluji was two ranks higher than this man, I have no idea._ It had taken little for Halcen to take down the Commodore, who had been recently promoted to Rear Admiral, to Halcen's surprise. But that wasn't what he needed to focus on. _How are we supposed to take down such a beast? He can feel the pain of the hits, but doesn't take damage. No bullets were able to go through… but there was that glint in his eyes as I came at him with the swords… so penetrating weapons can actually do damage? Is that too hard to absorb the energy? Or was there another reason? Was it just him being thrown off? No, he's a seasoned vet. That wouldn't do it. There's too much going on, and I don't have enough information… I still need to test his powers. I know what won't work. Now I need to figure out what will. Wait…_

Halcen looked to the side for just a second to look at Kazuki. They're eyes met, and Kazuki nodded.

"I've got an idea," Halcen said, low.

"What's going on?"

"We're gonna push him. I'm gonna keep his focus on me, but I need backup."

"What do you need?"

"Let it rain," Halcen winked.

Kazuki cocked his head in amusement. "Alright."

Halcen stood up straight. _Now, we might have a chance. I know how his powers work, and he still doesn't know about my Haki. I'll need to keep it until the most necessary moment. Until now, it hasn't been too bad. But it might get really rough really fast. There's gotta be some weakness to his power. Let's find out._

Halcen knelt down and picked up a couple random short swords that were lying about, and watched Darmichal's reaction very carefully.

Darmichal didn't seem to react at the moment. He merely continued to stare down the two pirates.

Halcen stood up and began running towards the man.

Kazuki strapped his rifle to his back and pulled out two pistols and kept them aimed out. His leg was a bit wobbly, but he could keep himself steady enough. He needed to be in that moment. This was going to be it.

Halcen drew close to the giant Marine.

Darmichal saw Kazuki in the back, ready to start shooting. He braced himself.

Halcen jumped and slashed his swords down at Darmichal's chest. In that moment, when Halcen thought Darmichal was going to move, or retaliate, the Marine stood still.

 _ **BANG!**_

Darmichal refused to budge. His body froze as two blades slashed down his torso and two bullets rocketed towards him.

Halcen felt all the strength he put into hit vanish as soon as he contacted the Marine's body. It was as if he hadn't really swung the swords at all.

The same thing happened with the two bullets at the same time, as the previous three had. They smashed against the man, but only went so far as to hit his skin, and then dropped off and clanked to the ground, flattened out like poker chips.

The only thing that proved Darmichal had even been hit was his roar of pain as these four weapons hit him all at the same time. He did not move or flinch until it was over though.

Halcen fell back down to his feet and looked up at the man. _What the hell?_

Darmichal's face was dark and he looked down on Halcen with a wicked grin. "Didn't quite work, did it?" he chuckled. And then he began to walk toward Halcen.

Halcen had to back up quickly, while struggling to avoid tripping over the weapons lying on the floor.

"See, you may know the basis of my power, but that doesn't mean you can do anything about it. You're still just a weak little pirate. You're scum compared to me."

"Oh, you think you're hard?" Halcen laughed. "You're tough, sure, but don't forget, I was able to take down Reluji, a Commodore."

And then Darmichal laughed. It echoed through the small room and sent chills down Halcen's back. "Reluji? That hack? Do you really think he was stronger than me? Have you not already witnessed the vast difference in our power? Reluji was promoted to Commodore without much power or fighting skill. His family is well connected. He played the game. He didn't earn his rank. That's well known in the officer circle. But, me? I earned my rank."

Halcen gulped. He had indeed realized there was a difference in power between the two, but had hoped Darmichal didn't know that. His bluff had been called. Halcen stood back and readied an attack stance. He had to keep going, he had to keep trying, he had to find Darmichal's weakness. "Alright, let's go."

Halcen rushed again. This time, instead of jumping straight ahead, he swung both swords simultaneously toward the right side of Darmichal's body.

Kazuki held off, seeing that Darmichal was not moving yet.

Darmichal stood still while Halcen swung his blades and let the attack go through without any damage. His side took the force of the attack and he gave out a small groan in pain, but the swords shattered against his body. They had taken all the energy they could handle and broke in the process.

"Shit," Halcen said out loud.

And then Darmichal moved. He cocked his massive right arm and thrust it down toward where Halcen was standing.

That was when Kazuki finally made his move.

 _ **BANG!**_

Two small bullets went flying across the small room at the same moment that Darmichal went to strike Halcen.

This time, they sunk in. One bullet went into Darmichal's right shoulder and the other snagged his forearm. He roared in agony at the wound and his body was snapped back and Darmichal fell to his back.

Halcen looked upon the fallen giant, for the first time with hope. _I get it!_

Darmichal didn't give him enough time to act though. He spun himself up off his back and leant down at Halcen with blood dripping from his arm. "You son of a bitch!" He roared at Kazuki. "It's not enough you betrayed that fool Reluji, but now you've drawn blood… from me?!" And then he thrust off, a giant wave of energy flowing behind him. He almost knocked Halcen over.

Halcen followed suit and rushed Darmichal with all his might. He caught the back of the giant man and threw him off course. "Kazuki, run!"

Darmichal tripped and slammed into the side fence, causing a massive blast to erupt. His body hit it as if he were a bomb. It took him an extra second to get his bearings straight, but once he had, he found his path blocked.

Halcen was standing right in front of him, with a long pole, guarding the way. Kazuki was now in the far back, standing his own ground, with pistols up.

"You're not going anywhere," Halcen said.

Darmichal raged. He threw a heavy fist down at Halcen, but Halcen was able to deflect the momentum with the pole, then swung around the side and smashed the pole end into Darmichal's ribs. The beast groaned again. This time Halcen was able to do damage.

"I finally get it!" Halcen cheered. But he didn't have time to explain.

Darmichal grabbed the pole, and as Halcen was still holding onto it, picked them both up and threw them across the room. Halcen fell to the ground with a thud, but it was only so rough. He didn't take any real damage.

Kazuki rushed to him, tending to his comrade. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm fine," he said. Halcen got up onto his knee. He had lost the pole, so looked about and picked up a couple pistols of his own. "These'll do." And then he looked to Kazuki. "Listen, I figured out how his weakness."

"What? Really?"

"Energy can only flow in one direction at a time. That means he can either absorb our attacks, or attack us; he can't do both at once. So if we keep him on the offense…"

"… We can actually do some damage!" Kazuki said.

"Exactly."

"So we gotta make him think he's got the upper hand, so he'll keep himself open," Kazuki said.

"Or... wait… I think-"

But they didn't have time to actually formulate an attack. Think what you will, but most of the time, enemies don't just stand about and wait for their opponent for strategize. Commander Darmichal came at them with all haste.

Halcen rushed to the side to divert Darmichal's attention. He didn't quite have a plan yet, but he knew to watch for openings. He lifted up the guns and began firing.

Darmichal had time to stop and prepare himself as he saw Halcen raising the guns. He stopped short from his chase and turned his absorption power on. He took the bullet fire and both Halcen and Kazuki began to fire their rounds upon him. His body jolted like he was having a seizure, and it hurt like one.

Halcen and Kazuki rained steel upon the Marine, until their guns were empty. But once again, the bullets all fell to the ground with clattering tinks.

Darmichal's body was sore. He had just absorbed all that energy and it was surging inside of him. He groaned as it began to ache. A mortal body can only contain so much energy and he was filling up quickly. He had released a bit here and there, but not enough to keep his body safe. He was going to need to end this quick or pull something big. He breathed deeply, and he teeth grinded together. "Is that all?" he asked through clenched teeth.

Halcen saw what he thought was his opening. He dropped the guns and picked up a longsword and began another rush at Darmichal.

That was a mistake.

Darmichal thrust his leg down in one fast stomp, creating a wave through the ground that knocked Halcen off balance, and then jumped at him, knocking the pirate down and locked him under his foot. Darmichal had Halcen's torso pinned between his foot and the floor. He began to press harder. He began pouring the energy he had gathered into this.

Halcen let out a groan of anguish. "Oh, fuck!" His body was being crushed by this Marine giant. _Not yet, not yet, not yet, not yet, not yet, not yet, not yet!_ And then he grabbed his knife and began stabbing Darmichal in the ankle, as fast as he could. Blood spurted about him as he mutilated the Marine's leg. "Take this, bitch!"

And then behind him, Kazuki began firing with his rifle again. The heavy machine shot a heavy bullet at the back of the giant Marine, throwing him across the room and smashing into the far wall, causing another massive blast. Blood sprayed from the bullet wound as the metal sank into the man.

Halcen breathed in relief. "Thank fuck." He turned himself over and started rubbing his chest. He had taken a pretty decent beating there. He was definitely going to bruise, but nothing was broken.

Darmichal stood up from the rubble he had caused from smashing into the wall. Metal and concrete fell about the area. It looked like a structurally damaging explosion. He breathed heavily and he had wild eyes. "ALRIGHT! THAT'S ENOUGH!" he roared. "I'M TAKING YOU BOTH OUT, RIGHT NOW!"

"And how do you expect to do that?" Halcen jabbed. "You haven't been able to hold us down for more than a couple seconds. We know how your powers work, we know your weakness. All we gotta do is hit you when you go offensive. You can't maintain a solid defense when you're attacking."

"Oh, you know what they say," Darmichal said, sinisterly. "The best defense is a good offense!"

"What the hell are you getting at?"

Darmichal didn't answer. Inside, he began his retaliation. He picked up a random blade on the floor, and then chucked it into a pile of more that were just lying about. This was where things got bad. Darmichal took his Kinetic fruit power and used that one little blade to catch more, and follow it, in a stream of weapons. They picked up off the ground and began to flow around him in a flurry of metal and death. And with each passing second, the amount of weapons in the flurry grew and the speed continued to increase as well. And over all the metal scraping, they could still hear Darmichal laughing maniacally.

"Well… fuck me," Halcen said.

Kazuki was still standing in the back and he began to lose it. "We're dead…" he said, and fell to his knees. He began to stammer. "We… we came all this way… There was so much that stood in our way… and we managed to just barely get by… but this? Now? There's no way we can handle this. We're dead."

Halcen looked back at Kazuki and went off on him. "What the hell are you talking about?" He walked over to Kazuki. He grabbed the man by the collar and began yelling at him, trying to get him to snap out of it. "You really think _this_ is going to stop us, now?! After everything else we managed?!"

"Don't you get it, Halcen?! This is it for us! This is where our journey ends! The experiment is over, we failed!"

"SNAP THE FUCK OUT OF IT!" Halcen shouted, and then punched Kazuki in the face, but didn't let go of Kazuki's collar. "WAKE UP!"

But they didn't have any more time. Darmichal was on them. He began to push the stream of weapons across the air toward them, in a massive storm.

Halcen saw what was coming their way. He clutched onto Kazuki, and coated himself in black Haki, protecting them from the weapon storm. He could feel the massive amounts of pressure being thrown into each piece of metal and wood. His body took the brunt of the force, but nothing got through his armor. He struggled to keep it that way too. There were so many weapons that he could scarcely keep his own self from dying, not to mention Kazuki underneath him.

But when the dust cleared, and Darmichal was sure he had won, they were still alive. Halcen chuckled as he stood up.

Kazuki looked up at Halcen. He had saved Kazuki's life. "You… we didn't die…"

"I've got a lot more life to life," Halcen said. "I'm not stopping now! I won't let it end with some random Marine." He turned around and stared down Darmichal.

"What… the fuck!?" the Commander roared. "You're supposed to be dead!"

"Guess we're going to have to hold off on that funeral, huh?" Halcen laughed.

"Haki?!" he said, staring at Halcen's black sheen. "You've had it all this time and you kept it hidden."

"All according to plan. I knew it'd pay to save it."

"We're alive," Kazuki chuckled. "I can…" he stood up, and then he looked spitefully at Darmichal. "We can do this," he said, confidently.

"That's the Kazuki I know," Halcen said.

"So what then?" Darmichal asked, interrupting. "You intend to be a human shield for this man? So we both just sit here and wait each other out?"

"Hell no!" Halcen said. "I'm gonna kill you here and now!"

"Halcen?" Kazuki asked.

Halcen turned back for a second. "He can't absorb any damage while using this move." Halcen pointed toward the still moving weapons above. They had slowed down after the attack, but they were rearing for another go. "All we gotta do… is get him when he tries."

Kazuki nodded. Then he readied his rifle. This was going to be it. This was going to be where they decided. "We're not going to die here," he said, smugly.

Halcen nodded back. Then he turned his attention back toward Darmichal, his body still black. He knelt down to pick up one of the few weapons that hadn't been picked up in Darmichal's storm. It was a long spear with a heavy metal head. Halcen had never liked spears much, but there were few other options. "Here we go!" Halcen said, rushing towards the Marine.

"HERE WE GO!" Darmichal roared. Darmichal saw Halcen coming with the spear. He knew the plan. The pirate was going to attempt to penetrate his body while his focus was on the weapons above. He laughed at the poorly constructed plan. They had no chance. Darmichal released a lot more energy this time, pushing the storming weapons into overdrive. "NOW DIE!"

Halcen ran as fast as he could. It was a straight shot from him to Darmichal, but he was met with resistance. His body was railroaded by a swinging blades and hammers and maces. He had hoped to close the distance before the Commander had time to react. Halcen's Haki was holding up, but he kept getting knocked from side to side. There was a vicious wind carried inside, howling to get ahold of him. But he doubled down, holding his ground, and slowly made his way. He saw a giant club fly in and was able to just barely duck. It continued on in the storm and disappeared. _That was too close._ Halcen was able to maintain standing through most of the attempts on his body, but some of them hit hard enough for him to feel the pain, even through the Haki. It was strong enough that he almost lost the spear.

Kazuki stood in the back and watched closely. There were moments when he needed to be ready to fire upon a rogue weapon if need be. He shot down a few that nearly decapitated Halcen. The pirate Captain was reckless, but impressive. "You can do this," he said lowly over and over, talking to both himself and Halcen.

And then Halcen was right in front of Darmichal. He had broken through the barrier and began to run even harder with the man in sight. _THIS IS IT!_ He pushed as hard as he could and threw himself, spear first at Darmichal with a loud roar. He caught the fear in Darmichal's eyes as his body was penetrated.

At that exact same moment, Kazuki was able to fire off a perfect shot through the storming weapons. A heavy rifle slug blasted into Darmichal's stomach, right alongside the spear. They hit simultaneously.

Darmichal's energy had been spent on the weapon storm, and he hadn't thought that these tiny men could actually do anything against him… But they had… They had accomplished what no one had been able to in his entire life. He watched these men mortally wound him, against everything he had done to put them down. He let out a load groaning cackle as he felt his body be pierced by the spear and rifle bullet in his stomach.

Suddenly everything froze around them. The weapons hung in the air for a second, and then all dropped around them in an echoing loud clatter, and Darmichal fell to his back.

He moaned and coughed blood. "You… fucking pirates. Do you think you're gonna get away with this?"

Halcen looked at the massive man in relief. "Yes, I do. We got what we came here for. Now we can disappear and nobody will know we were here." And then Halcen went about digging through the now grounded weapons, and found himself a longsword. "This ought to do."

"No, you're not gonna kill me!" Darmichal raged, trying to get himself back up.

Halcen kicked his leg and knocked the man back down on his back. "You're not going anywhere."

"Fuck you," He spat at the pirate.

"See you in Hell," Halcen laughed.

And then they heard a banging of a door from the entrance of the requisitions room.

"Shit," Halcen said lowly, looking at Kazuki.

They heard voices talking. "What the hell is going on in here?" someone called from far in the entrance.

Darmichal was about to call for help, but Halcen stabbed the massive blade down into the man's throat, cutting off vocal chords and oxygen. Blood splattered about. Halcen watched as the man panicked and choke for a few seconds, until he finally died.

"Let's get the fuck out of here," Halcen said to Kazuki.

"The lights," Kazuki said.

They went about quickly extinguishing the lanterns that hung about the room, returning it to its original dark state.

"What the hell?"

"Did you see that?"

"There was light down there, now it's gone."

"Something's going on."

"Hey! Who's in there?!"

Halcen and Kazuki could sense the interceptors coming. Kazuki grabbed Halcen said "Sshh." He led Halcen around the side against the wall so the Marines would pass them. Even in the dark, he could see better than anybody else.

They waited for the guards to pass them and come upon the first lantern and light it. From there, the Marines could make out the figure of a man. They carried the lantern over to Darmichal's body. "Holy fuck!"

"Dear God! Somebody killed the Commander!"

"Search the area!"

But it was too late. Kazuki had lead Halcen silently through the hallway that lead to the outer door, and they had vanished. It was over. They had succeeded.


	30. Triumphant Return

**Well... here it is. It took me MUCH longer to get back to the story than I wanted, but that's life. I was never able to actually finish the Friends fic that I wanted to do. I got 12 pages in, and it became blurry and murky with no end in sight. So I abandoned that after several painful months. Then I had to deal with real life stuff, which really fucked up my timeline. But I'm finally back. Here it is. Enjoy this motherfucker. :)**

* * *

Triumphant Return

Avarik Halcen was battered and bruised from his death match with Commander Darmichal, the great beast of kinetic power. The great pirate Captain limped back to the docks where his ship, the Black Tail, awaited. He was followed closely by his former Marine sniper ally, Ureha Kazuki, who tightly clutched a bag filled with their winnings from the battle. They were both sore and beaten, but surprisingly with no serious injuries.

"Ho there, Captain!" called Jory, under the dark night sky.

The rest of the crew came to see their returning Captain and crewmate. Jory, Morkine, Fein, Jin, Grey, and even Bo. Shira was likely off snoozing somewhere. It was quite late, and the crew had begun to worry over the wellbeing of the comrades in arms. Midnight had passed hours ago, and the sun would surely be on its way soon.

"Holy shit, what happened to you guys?" Jory asked, when they actually walked into the light.

Halcen looked up at Jory with a wicked grin. He had taken a beating for sure, but his spirits had not been dimmed. Just the opposite; he felt invigorated in the fact that he had been able to take down the titan.

"You were gone much longer than planned," Grey stated.

"I know," Halcen said, climbing onto the ship. He continued toward the middle of the ship where everyone followed and gathered around. Kazuki followed behind with a large duffel bag in hand.

"So what happened?"

"We ran into trouble," Halcen harrumphed.

"What kind of trouble?"

"There was a Commander there; Darmichal. He was asleep inside the requisitions room… and damn, was he strong. We barely managed to put him down."

"A Commander? Did we not fight off Commodore Reluji with ease not too long ago? Why was this one such a tough battle?" Grey asked.

Kazuki took that question. "See, a rank doesn't always mean fighting skill. Sometimes it's intelligence or even just connections that get people promoted. That would be the case for Reluji. For Darmichal however, his power was so great that he was in the process of being promoted to Captain and put in charge of his own Marine base."

"So he was stronger than the other Marines that we had faced already?"

"Much," Halcen said.

"And the two of you killed him by yourselves?" Bo asked, agape.

"Indeed."

"Dear God."

Halcen looked annoyed. "God had nothing to do with it. It was through our own sweat and blood."

"God has to do with everything, Halcen," Grey said.

"Not me," he said matter-of-factly, ending the discussion.

"Alright. Alright," Bo said. "So the question remains: were you successful?" he asked, looking to Kazuki, then glancing down at the bag.

"It wasn't easy," he said, then lifted the bad up into the air to display, "but yes. Mission success." He set the bag down on the railing to show Bo. He unzipped it and took out his own rifle. It glimmered against the fire lights in the night.

Bo rummaged through the bag, finding his own rifle. "Dear Rebecca," he said, pulling his machine close. "Now, we can save my family."

"Satisfied?" Halcen asked.

"Yes, thank you," Bo said. He was still unsure of Halcen's intentions, but knew he needed to be grateful for this victory. With Rebecca in hand, he could accomplish his next goal.

"So now, are you capable of going forward with the rest of the plan?" Halcen asked, sternly, looking into Bo's eyes.

Even in the dimly lit area, Bo could make out the glimmer of havoc in Halcen's eyes. He gulped, but still said "Yes."

Then we begin preparations tomorrow afternoon. For now," he said, turning to the rest of the crew, "we celebrate. Tonight, Kazuki and I killed a Marine officer of such outstanding power, that we rightfully should have died. We avoided the clutches of death yet again! Let's fucking party!"

Daddy Masterson had knocked out in his home late after his aid to the Chaos Pirates. He had swallowed half a bottle of whiskey alone and passed out on his own couch. He knew there was little use trying to fight it anymore. There was too much going on to try to handle it. He had problems that even his expertise couldn't fix. He had to give in to the will of pirates… for the sake of his daughter.

He was awoken the next morning quite roughly. He felt someone rattle him to wake him up. He was still half asleep and half drunk so he couldn't quite figure out what was going on. "Fucking pirates. Leave me alone!"

"Get on your feet, Masterson," said a familiar voice. But this wasn't a pirate's voice. This was Lieutenant Smoker, one of the up and coming officers of the East Blue. But why was he in Masterson's home?

"Go to hell, Smoker! I don't have anything left for you to take," he said with a clear slur.

"The Captain wants a word with you."

"The Captain can kiss my ass."

The Lieutenant shook his head in pity. He looked to the two troops he had brought with him. "Alright, we're gonna have to do this the hard way." Smoker went to the kitchen and filled a vase with water, then came back and tossed it on the still groggy Masterson.

"Holy shit! What the hell is the matter with you?!" He shouted in rage, snapping out of his stupor.

"Feel better?"

"I feel wet. What the hell do you want from me?"

"Captain Vergo wants to talk to you."

"Why?"

"It's not for me to say. We need to get moving ASAP."

Masterson grunted. "Damn you. You know, sometimes I wonder how I got through all this demanding bullshit you guys used to pull without hurting someone."

"I hope you're joking," Smoker said, actually worried.

Masterson sat upright and grabbed a towel to wipe himself down with. When he had changed, he came back to the front. "Alright, let's go."

Masterson was led through the town and headed back through the base entrance with his armed guard, to the exact same place he had just been the previous night. Masterson began to worry as the night flashed in his mind. What could Vergo possibly want with him now that he couldn't have said then?

They finally got him to the office he had also been in briefly the previous night. This was starting to feel like déjà vu, with a bad twist coming. Masterson stiffened and began to panic when he saw Vergo sitting in his chair opposite the door. He had a piece of rice stuck in his little beard. Masterson was uneasy, but refused to let it show. He knew he needed to keep his composure.

"Mister Masterson," Vergo said with his smooth, rich voice.

"Vergo," Masterson replied, nodding. "What do you want?"

Vergo stood up from his desk and walked around to stand in front of Masterson with his arms behind his back. "Last night we had a break-in at the repository."

"Oh? How unfortunate."

"One of our Commanders was found dead."

"And this has what to do with me?"

"It happened around the same time you came here with your kill."

"You think I had something to do with it?"

"The timing fits."

"I had your guards' eyes on me the whole time I was here. Tell me: how would I have been able to take part in anything so brazen?"

"If you were working with someone… it wouldn't be the most impossible thing."

"Me? Working with someone to break into a Marine base, and kill an officer? Why in God's name would I do something like that?"

"Because you have connections to our suspects."

"What suspects?"

"Former Chief Petty Officer Ureha Kazuki and former Petty Officer Yusha Bosopp."

Masterson gulped. He looked into Vergo's dark eyes. _He knows._ "They wouldn't do such a thing. They're good men! They would never…"

"But they have. You know they betrayed Rear Admiral Reluji. They teamed up with pirates and came here. We managed to capture them, but they attacked myself and Lieutenant Smoker, had their pirate friends save them. Then they snuck into the repository to kill Commander Darmichal and steal back the rifles we took from them."

"All of that… I just don't believe they could do such a thing."

"And I'm supposed to believe that you didn't aid them either?"

"I have a place in my heart for those boys, sure, but I would never do something so heinous as to aid them in such treason."

"And why not?"

"Because you know my weak spot."

"Your daughter."

Masterson nodded and gulped.

"So do they."

"That's the difference between the two of you. They wouldn't do something like that to me. You would."

"So, you haven't had any contact with them since they arrived?"

"I didn't even know they were here. I'm sure they know I would turn them away if they asked for such help. I may no longer be a Marine, but I still hold my honor."

"Then you'll let me know if you do hear anything."

"Of course," he said, biting his tongue.

"Then you may leave. I apologize for the inconvenience." He looked to Smoker and the other guards that had brought him. "Take him home."

Masterson nodded his head to Vergo and turned to head out the door with his armed guard. _This just got a hell of a lot worse._

Once he was free of the guard and set by himself outside the base and had said his goodbye to the young Lieutenant, Masterson took a dip through the back alleys that led away from the base toward the docks. He needed to warn the others. _I don't want to help those bastards, but they have my daughter. If they're caught again… I'll never see her again. I have no doubt Halcen will kill her at the slightest scent of betrayal. That man is mad._

He took extra time to make sure he wasn't being followed. He knew that people were likely to recognize him in this city, and if he had caught someone's attention, that would be game over. He needed to protect Carol. If he couldn't keep his part secret, war would be waged, and he'd be dragged into the middle. He couldn't let that happen.

He finally arrived at the docks and took a quick spin about. He didn't see anything. He continued forward with his head down and hat over his face to the Black Tail. It was only around noon, so the sun would likely give him away if not for his own discretion.

When he arrived, he was welcomed with rage. "What the hell are you doing here?" Halcen asked.

"It's urgent. I need to speak with you."

"Were you followed?"

"No," he said, shaking his head.

Halcen took a look about as well and motioned for Masterson to climb aboard.

Masterson climbed aboard the Black Tail and followed Halcen below deck and in the crew's quarters, where everyone was getting ready to move out for the night's mission.

"What's he doing here?" Grey asked.

"They know it was you guys who broke into the repository last night."

"And?" Halcen asked, as if that detail made no difference.

"You guys killed an officer last night?!"

"Darmichal? Yeah."

"What the hell is wrong with you? Why did you need to kill anybody?"

"Listen, he started the fight. It was self defense _and_ we couldn't leave any witnesses. Is that all you came here for? To bitch at me?"

"They're onto us."

"What?"

"Captain Vergo just brought me in for questioning. He believes with everything going on, I must be involved."

"Damn, he's smart," Halcen said.

"Well he couldn't be a very good Captain if he wasn't, now would he?"

"There's no such thing as a 'good' Marine," Halcen spat.

"The only good Marine is a dead Marine," Fein laughed.

"Shut up, Fein," Bo roared.

Fein growled. "Oh, you wanna go, tough guy?"

"Both of you shut up!" Halcen ordered.

They ceased their bickering and looked back to Halcen.

"Now… we need to figure this out. If they think you're involved, how did you escape?"

"Vergo let me go."

"Just like that?"

"No, I had to convince him I would never help these men," he said, looking at Bo and Kazuki.

"So you dismissed his suspicions?"

"As best as I could."

"So we should be safe for now. Why did you think this was worth risking coming all the way out here during the day?"

"I came to warn you! Vergo is onto you! I figured that would be helpful!"

"Don't raise your voice at me, Masterson. Remember, I own you."

Masterson growled. "I wanna see her."

"Not happening."

"Let me see my daughter."

"Once we're finished here, I'll tell you where you can find her."

"I've done enough for you and your pirate brood, Avarik Halcen. Give me my daughter back!"

"I can't do that," Halcen responded, simply shaking his head.

Masterson raged. He'd never faced such a ruthless adversary. Avarik Halcen was proving to be without a doubt, the most cunning and dangerous foe that he'd ever encountered. "To think that someone like you was able to defeat Commander Darmichal," he scoffed. "That is just disheartening. I weep for the state of the world."

"Weep for your daughter's life, without you," Halcen said. "That seems like a much more pressing matter."

Masterson gulped. "Fine. What else do you want from me?" He asked, conceding.

"We have one more mission: to rescue Bo's family. We're gonna need all the help we can get."

"I'm not gonna help you break into a military prison. That's one line I will not cross."

"How many lines have you crossed already? I don't think you have any more scruples to stick to anymore. Why don't you stop trying to pretend like there's anything your morals will prevent you from doing? We all know what kind of sick shit the World Government makes you Marines do. This time you're just gonna lick my boot instead of a badge's. Don't get all squirmy on me now."

Masterson swore again. He had shamed his name helping these pirates already. What else should stop him from going that one extra step if it meant saving his daughter's life? He knew there was no line he would not cross for her. He sighed and bowed his head in submission. "What do you need from me?"

Daddy Masterson snuck out of the pirate ship later in the day. He was still attempting to keep his involvement secret. What else could he do? But the fear of being discovered had been overshadowed by the fear for his daughter's safety. There were far too many risks on either side and he had been caught up in it out of no willingness on his part.

He headed through the docks, trying to keep his face covered, and to stay out of the way of the others as much as possible.

"Masterson," said a voice from his side.

His body shook in fear as he glanced over to his right. There, covered by a wooden overhang on the edge of the dock, stood a young Marine. He looked vaguely familiar. There were barrels of what smelled of odorous fish behind him. They were being set to go out on a shipping boat from the marina.

"And just who are you?" Masterson asked, his voice shaking.

The boy was maybe nineteen at the most. He had a blue bandana over his head but you could tell he had blonde hair. He had brown eyes and tan skin. He was fidgeting. He was nervous. "I'm Seaman First Class Androvy. You were at my introduction."

"And just what are you doing here?"

"Something told me… that you were lying. I couldn't believe that you were conspiring with pirates, but there was something just eating away at me. I had to know for sure."

"You followed me?"

"I'm afraid so."

"And are your superiors aware of this?"

"Not yet. I had to know before I told them. I couldn't come to them with pure speculation. But I saw you board that pirate ship. That's where they are, isn't it? The pirates that attacked the base? Why are you working with them?"

"You don't understand what you're talking about."

This is where the boy started to get angry. "You're supposed to be a sigil of justice. Why are you working with these pirates?!"

"Quiet down now, boy. Don't do something you might regret."

"I'm taking you in. You can explain yourself to Captain Vergo." He grabbed at Masterson's arm, but Masterson wouldn't have it.

In an instant, a large knife pierced into the boy's stomach as Masterson pulled himself closer.

He gaped and choked. "Wh—why?"

"I'm sorry. My daughter's life is more important than yours," Masterson whispered.

The young cadet fell to the ground as the blade was pulled out.

Masterson looked about to ensure nobody had spotted his deed. They were pretty removed from the bustling area, and the overhang protecting the fish barrels had covered them well. Masterson pulled the lid off one of the half-full barrels and stuffed the boy's body inside, covering the fish in the blood of that young Marine. He made sure to cover the body as best as he could with the remaining fish. Surely, nobody was going to think twice about looking there. He had nowhere else to dispose of the body. If at all, it would take days before he was found.

Then Masterson was off, disappeared into the city, with nobody left to tell of his crimes.


End file.
